The picture shows Belgian tourists visiting the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty.
Under the azure sky, the red walls and golden tiles, shaded by green trees, appear even more solemn and dignified. Touching the pillars bearing historical scars and admiring the exquisite stone carvings, one feels as if the turbulent and unpredictable history spanning over 300 years is unfolding before their eyes. The journalist team came upon a group of more than 30 Belgian tourists who were attentively listening to their guide’s explanations. They carefully examined precious artifacts like Emperor Qianlong’s jade cicada and carved lacquer plaques, raving about the profound mysteries of Chinese culture.
"The Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty is a World Cultural Heritage, hailed by UNESCO World Heritage experts as 'a creative masterpiece of humanity,'" said Li Yin, a historian specializing in the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty who has frequently appeared on CCTV's cultural program 'Lecture Room,' and currently serves as the curator of the Museum of the Cultural Relics Management Office of the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty.
The Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty, designated as a 5A-rated tourist destination, represent the largest scale, best-preserved, and most harmoniously designed imperial complex of the Qing Dynasty Royal Tombs existing in China. Its scale ranks first among the three major mausoleum areas of the Qing Dynasty, namely the Three Imperial Mausoleums outside Shanhaiguan (Yongling, Fuling, and Zhaoling), the Eastern Royal Tombs, and the Western Royal Tombs.
"The Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty transform every year! When I first visited, the Jingling Stele Tower was still under restoration. Now it stands completely restored – truly magnificent. Some imperial tomb mounds had even collapsed back then, but they've all been reinforced now with excellent preservation. During my initial visit, the environment of the Manchu village was dirty and chaotic. Today it's spotless and refreshing, with every street in the entire mausoleum complex and village transformed beyond recognition." Since 2015, Mao Yujian, a non-professional Qing history enthusiast from Chongqing, has made annual research visits to the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty.
"Let digital technology awaken historical culture." Han Shu'an, the General Manager of the Cultural Tourism Company of the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty of Tangshan Cultural Tourism Investment Group, introduced, "This year, the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty will introduce AR/MR technology. It can provide help for the restoration of ancient buildings through digital means and start a new experience of the integration of 'technology + cultural tourism'."
At the beginning of 2025, the Cultural Tourism Company of the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty officially launched two digital cultural and tourism innovation projects-" (AR) Digital Tour Guide" and "(MR) Mixed Reality ". The cutting-edge technological means revitalize the world cultural heritage and create an immersive tour experience of the integration of virtual and real for tourists. The AR Digital Tour Guide, that is, the virtual guide empowers smart cultural tourism. It is a virtual digital human guide product that integrates the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AR technologies. It can be used on the mobile applet side. With the help of a virtual and customizable digital human image, it provides tourists with a new generation of immersive cultural tourism experience such as spatial navigation, scenic spot introduction, and cultural explanation. The MR Immersive Experience, that is, the dramatized exploration revitalizes history. MR technology, an upgraded form of Virtual Reality (VR) and AR, features virtual-real superposition and real-time interaction. Tourists can interact with digital mythical beasts through MR devices, experiencing characteristic tour methods such as "mythical beast cultivation" and "ancient building renovation". This technology revitalizes historical culture with a younger-oriented narrative, attracting a new generation of tourists.