The World Internet Conference (WIC) held a press conference in Beijing on Aug 26 to brief the media on the upcoming 2025 WIC Cultural Heritage Digitalization Forum, outlining its overall arrangements, preparation progress, and key events.

Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC, Sun Daguang, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Shaanxi Provincial Committee, and Zhang Fenghu, head of the Cyberspace Administration of Xi'an, attended the briefing and answered media questions. The event was chaired by Liang Hao, executive deputy secretary-general of the WIC.

The WIC holds a press conference in Beijing on Aug 26 to brief the media on the upcoming 2025 WIC Cultural Heritage Digitalization Forum. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

The forum, hosted by the WIC and organized by the People's Government of Shaanxi Province, will be held in Xi'an from Sept 16 to 17 under the theme "Bridging History through Digitalization, Building Civilization with Intelligence." Discussions will center on key topics including "Preservation and Inheritance," "Technology and Innovation," "Industry and Empowerment" and "Openness and Collaborative Governance." The forum seeks to explore new digital approaches to cultural heritage preservation and foster exchanges among civilizations.

Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Ren noted that cultural heritage carries the legacy of civilizations. Digital technology, he said, has become a powerful tool for safeguarding and revitalizing cultural heritage. Hosting the forum in Xi'an, a historic cultural city, both reflects global trends in digital civilization and highlights the WIC's commitment to promoting digital protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, he noted.

Sun Daguang, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Shaanxi Provincial Committee. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Sun highlighted that Shaanxi has always attached great importance to the preservation and inheritance of cultural heritage and has made sustained efforts to advance its digitalization. He noted that the forum provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen dialogue with all sectors, draw on collective wisdom, and build broader consensus. By more effectively integrating culture with technology and harnessing digital tools, Shaanxi aims to enhance cultural heritage protection and inheritance. The province will further deepen international cooperation in this field, actively implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and contribute to greater exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, he added.

Zhang Fenghu, head of the Cyberspace Administration of Xi'an. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Zhang said that in recent years, Xi'an has advanced its strategy of revitalizing the city through culture, seizing opportunities brought by digital transformation and using digital technologies to drive the creative transformation and innovative development of its rich historical and cultural heritage. He said the city would take the forum as an opportunity to learn from international best practices, advance cultural exchanges, and play an active part in building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

Liang Hao, executive deputy secretary-general of the WIC. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

The forum will bring together senior representatives from international organizations, ministerial-level officials from relevant government departments, foreign envoys in China, representatives from leading cultural enterprises, and renowned scholars. 

Several events are scheduled to take place during the forum, including an exhibition of outstanding digitalized heritage projects, a meeting of the WIC working group on cultural heritage digitalization, a training program hosted by the WIC Digital Academy, and the release of the WIC Cultural Heritage Digitalization Case Collection. These events are designed to provide a global platform for exchanges and cooperation in the field of cultural heritage digitalization.