Tencent leverages its expertise in video games to preserve Chinese cultural heritage

Tencent, a Chinese Internet giant which has risen to the rank of second largest video game publisher in the world through acquisitions, is using its video game expertise to provide access to ancestral Chinese culture with its Digital Library Cave. It is a virtual reproduction of the Mogao caves, north of the Chinaclassified as a UNESCO world heritage site and a true jewel of Buddhist art.

Tencent partnered with Dunhuang Academy to carry out this five-year project. They used the latest technologies in the video game sector to create an interactive and immersive museum but also allow fans to discover historical scenes from the cave library and more than 60,000 cultural relics.

Digital museums

The Digital Library Cave uses the latest 3D rendering and lighting technologies. A photogrammetry process was used to digitize the original appearance of the Mogao Caves' imposing 1,600-meter cliff while capturing the finer details of the “three-story building.” The result is intended to be precise “to the nearest millimeter”, according to Tencent. During their visit, the user also has the opportunity to interact with historical figures.


More than 10,000 documents were used as the basis for restoring the scenes inside the cave and creating more than 900 million visuals. In addition, the Digital Library Cave brings together, within a digital gallery, 21 artifacts from several dynasties thanks to the collections of the British Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Guimet museum. To enhance this immersive viewing experience, the Digital Library Cave employed cutting-edge 4K digital restoration techniques, complemented by 3D modeling.

Technologies of the future serving the past

With this new solution, Tencent explains that it is committed to the preservation, restoration and digitization of cultural heritage. “Our efforts have included the digitization of the Palace Museum, better known as the Forbidden City; the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and Sanxingdui; as well as the development of the digital version of the Great Wall of China.” underlined Leon Guo, Senior Vice President of Tencent. The Digital Library Cave is available in English and French.

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