Shanxi innovates cultural heritage preservation

North China's Shanxi province is pioneering an innovative approach to cultural heritage preservation. Through a government-led mechanism involving societal participation and technology empowerment, it is transitioning from "static protection" to "dynamic inheritance".

In 2017, Shanxi became the first province to establish a "government-guided, society-participated, and results-shared" mechanism. This initiative has invigorated social forces through adoption, donation, and volunteer services. By the end of 2023, 473 lower-level cultural relics across the province had been adopted by social entities, attracting 540 million yuan ($73.88 million) in funding.

Workers are collecting cultural relic data. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

In a groundbreaking move, Shanxi initiated a grassroots cultural preservation talent training program in 2022, recruiting archaeology generalists through the college entrance examination. During the four-year training period, students study archaeology, cultural relic architecture, and mural restoration while completing at least 18 months of field practice.

"Our goal is to cultivate versatile talents," said Chen Xiaosan, vice-dean of the School of Archaeology and Museology at Shanxi University. To date, 230 students have participated in the province's fourth cultural relic census, collecting information on over 2,000 immovable relics.

Tourists appreciate cultural relics through multimedia. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Shanxi has implemented digital preservation for 145 key cultural relic protection units and 21 museums with precious collections, including Yungang Grottoes, Foguang Temple, and Yongle Palace. This has led to the preliminary establishment of a digital information resource library.

"Cultural inheritance requires both safeguarding historical roots and innovating protection methods," said Wang Chao, director of the Jinzhong municipal bureau of culture and tourism. The local government is constructing a "cultural relic digital collection – IP development – immersive experiences" chain and employing metaverse technology to create an everlasting "Shanxi Merchants Cultural Exhibition".