A smart lens on the past

Three restoration centers use technology to give each artifact a "health check". The Xumilingjing site, a significant Buddhist architectural complex, has been digitally restored to its former glory.

Ma says the technology serves not only conservation but also accessibility. With inbound tourism to the site up 50 percent from last year — nearly 400,000 visitors so far this year — the Summer Palace has deployed an AI-powered digital customer service system supporting 75 languages. Multilingual translation devices are now widely available across the grounds.

The goal, Ma explains, is to remove barriers without inserting screens between visitors and the landscape.

Adnan Al-Sawa'ir, chairman of the board of commissioners of the Petra region development and tourism authority, describes Petra — the ancient city carved into rose-red rock — as a "living testament to human creativity and adaptation".

"Technology is a tool to enhance understanding, not a replacement for direct interaction with the heritage site," he says.

"Our goal is not to add more screens to the visitor's journey. It is to keep the technology as invisible as possible."