Saving heritage with smart tech

Gathering more than 500 experts, industry representatives and scholars nationwide, the event served as a high-level forum to advance the academic ecology for the preservation, inheritance, and innovative dissemination of Chinese culture in the intelligent era.

This year, Zhao plans to focus on the country's intangible cultural heritage, digitally safeguarding and connecting the sartorial traditions of all 56 ethnic groups.

"Ultimately, I pursue two things: connection and authenticity," she says.

"Culture isn't a lone artifact in a display case. It's a point on a vast, living timeline. Our job is to make that timeline explorable, to let anyone, anywhere, touch the thread of thousands of years and weave it into the future."

Contact the writer at wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn