How digital archaeology and open science are transforming heritage preservation in China and Europe

euronews (in English)

How digital archaeology and open science are transforming heritage preservation in China and Europe  From the AI-driven conservation of China’s Dazu Rock Carvings to the Rijksmuseum’s transparent restoration of Rembrandt’s Night Watch, China and Europe are embracing a new model of preservation.  In partnership with CGTN  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/12/09/how-digital-archaeology-and-open-science-are-transforming-heritage-preservation-in-china-a  Spark your senses, wake your wonder. Euronews Culture seeks to show creativity in action and inspire our audience to explore the world through the five senses. Start your journey through the best of Europe's arts, gastronomy, traditions and high-end craftsmanship.

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00:00Hidden deep in southwest China, this sacred site offers a window into the past.

00:09The rock carvings of Tazou are a stunning example of Chinese cave art,

00:14but perhaps the most important thing about these statues here

00:17is what they tell us about the life and belief in China more than a thousand years ago.

00:21I'll discover how advanced digital technology and AI are safeguarding these relics.

00:30In Europe, we'll also see what's being done to restore a Dutch national treasure.

00:35Welcome to Crossing Cultures. Join us as we explore the very best traditions of both China and Europe.

00:53The Tazou rock carvings are one of the finest examples of Chinese cave temple art.

01:00Dating from the 9th to the 13th centuries, more than 10,000 figures chart the evolution of religious belief and artistic expression.

01:10In Yuanjue cave, twelve bodhisattvas advance towards perfect enlightenment.

01:15They are safeguarded by an ingenious stone drainage system that has protected the grotto for centuries.

01:22I heard that in Yuanjue cave is an important project of research.

01:27This project is designed to build a human body of human beings and artificial intelligence system.

01:33This project is designed to build a human body and artificial intelligence system.

01:34The 3-way病害標柱 is not only a 3-way可视化,

01:39but it is also from the平面 to the立体 of a human technology.

01:43Do you have any difficulties in the field of the field?

01:48You can see that the building of the field of the field has a lot of protective and protective structures.

01:53The protective structures are used to make a shield and a square.

02:00This is a huge challenge for our data collection.

02:04It's a big challenge.

02:34When you look at the recovery method,

02:37you can use AI and a large model

02:41to make a more convenient image of this method.

02:49Such technological advances allow researchers

02:52to capture and study the site with precision,

02:54while also making the carvings accessible

02:57to a worldwide audience.

03:01From the ancient rock art here in Chongqing,

03:03let's head to Europe to discover the latest effort

03:06to restore a Dutch masterpiece, Paul has more.

03:16Bikes, bridges, cafes, canals.

03:19Amsterdam conjures up so many things.

03:23But if there's one place that truly captures

03:25its cultural heart, it's here, the Rijksmuseum.

03:29A temple to the Dutch Golden Age,

03:31and one painting still reigns supreme,

03:34Rembrandt's Night Watch.

03:36The Night Watch is Rembrandt's most ambitious painting.

03:40He painted it at the pinnacle of his career,

03:43and it's special because it's also a deeply humane painting.

03:48Since 2019, a major restoration in full view of the public

03:52has been taking place.

03:53Right now, conservators like Esther are delicately removing

03:57the old varnish from the imposing canvas.

04:02Esther, why are you removing the varnish?

04:04We are removing the varnish from the Night Watch

04:06because it's a very yellow layer.

04:08It has aged over time.

04:10It's 50 years old.

04:11And it's also a bit greyish because it doesn't saturate

04:15the paint layers as well as it should.

04:17And how complex is a restoration like this?

04:20What are the main challenges you face?

04:22The painting is very big, which is a challenge in and of itself.

04:25The project itself is very big.

04:27We're doing a lot of research,

04:28and that makes everything exponentially bigger and more complex.

04:34Every move Esther makes is supported by the museum's science team,

04:38who examine the masterpiece in microscopic detail.

04:46The research we do with our team is really to understand

04:49the composition and condition of the night watch,

04:52and this information helps conservators' stories

04:55to make decisions in their treatment.

04:58So we have technology where we really scan through the painting,

05:01we do imaging, but we also take tiny samples

05:04to really dive into the paint to really understand

05:06what has happened over these 400 years.

05:12The night watch is really an icon for the Netherlands,

05:16and this restoration we're doing for the future,

05:19and future generations will see a night watch

05:22which will be much clearer, easier to read, but also have more depth.

05:27The contrast between light and dark, for which Rembrandt is so famous,

05:31will be more apparent.

05:32So that's why we decided that this is the time to restore it.

05:36400 years have taken their toll.

05:39Previous restorations, exposure to the elements,

05:42and a violent attack of all left scars.

05:45So what's the painting's condition today?

05:49The condition of the painting is, I would love to say, good,

05:52but if you're looking under the microscope,

05:54you can see that it's a damaged paint surface, which is not strange.

05:58I mean, it is 400 years old, but, yeah, it's compromised.

06:03As for restoring one of the world's greatest paintings

06:06in front of the public, that was never in doubt.

06:09The night watch, it's, in a sense, world heritage,

06:12and it belongs to everyone.

06:14And we felt that the public has the right

06:16to see what we're doing to the painting.

06:20The Rijksmuseum has also moved much of its vast collection online,

06:25another innovative way in which it engages its audience.

06:30The public changes, and you have to keep changing

06:33and finding new ways of presentation.

06:37So I think it's incredibly important for a museum

06:40to keep on moving, to keep on changing,

06:44and to keep on showing this fantastic art, which is timeless.

06:56To bring Dazu's ancient heritage to life,

06:58an 8K panoramic dome now allows visitors

07:02to study the carvings in stunning detail.

07:04The Rijksmuseum is called the world,

07:07the largest mystery in the world of the centuries,

07:08the world of the centuries.

07:09It represents the highest level of an 18-19 century

07:12where the world of the centuries

07:13is the greatest mystery in the centuries.

07:15It is using the digitizedRED technology

07:18to show the art of the centuries

07:19or above the centuries,

07:20and it has been organized,

07:22and it is designed to look good at the part

07:24of the whole of the 15th century.

07:26And it also shows a role in 19-20 years

07:28that has also earned the service

07:29of the representation in the 19th century as well.

07:32from the past to the present the latest technology aims to ensure stories once etched in stone

07:41continue to resonate so there you have it some innovative and inspiring ways in which

07:48china and europe are working to display and preserve a heritage for now that's all from

07:53me here in chongqing until the next time thanks for watching

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