Cultural Tourism Transformation Under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan
The release of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Strong Tourism Nation has once again sparked widespread discussion across the cultural tourism industry. Throughout the plan, key themes such as immersive experiences, cultural innovation, digital transformation, smart consumption scenarios, and technological advancement are repeatedly emphasized, signaling a fundamental shift in the development model of the tourism sector.
For cultural attractions, the next stage of competition will no longer focus solely on building more facilities or adding more projects. Instead, the priority is shifting toward creating meaningful experiences that encourage visitors to stay longer, participate deeper, and share more naturally.
Today’s travelers are no longer satisfied with simply viewing landscapes or visiting historical sites. They seek experiences that tell stories, spaces that invite participation, and content worth sharing. Historical figures can step beyond textbooks, traditional stories can be brought into immersive environments, and local heritage can evolve into interactive experiences that visitors actively engage with and share.
Bringing Culture to Life Through Invisible Holographic Display Technology
Under the glow of soft lighting, accompanied by the sound of ancient Buddhist chants and the fragrance of incense, history is no longer distant—it becomes an experience.
At the Nanjing Dabaoen Temple Heritage Site, MUXWAVE applied invisible holographic display technology to create an innovative naked-eye AR digital experience centered around the historic Dharma Hall ruins.
By seamlessly integrating digital content with the original archaeological environment, the project creates an immersive visitor journey that connects Buddhist cultural experiences with a harmonious blend of the physical and digital worlds.
The true value of this project lies not simply in the addition of a display system. Instead, digital technology has enabled the transformation of the thousand-year-old Buddhist cultural heritage of Dabaoen Temple into an experience that is:
- Interactive
- Immersive
- Shareable
- Continuously renewable
Through the integration of heritage, storytelling, and digital innovation, the ancient site has evolved from a static cultural exhibition into a dynamic experience where history and technology coexist.
Invisible holographic display technology is redefining cultural preservation—not by replacing tradition, but by enabling culture to become alive, engaging, and continuously passed on to future generations.
Where Does Experience Transformation Begin?
If immersive experiences were once considered an experimental innovation within the cultural tourism industry, they have now become a key direction for the high-quality development of modern tourism.
China’s tourism development strategy emphasizes improving the technology capabilities across the entire immersive experience ecosystem, strengthening innovation, and cultivating smart tourism spaces powered by digital technologies.
The goal is not simply to install more digital devices. Instead, technology is being used to fundamentally reshape how visitors experience culture.
This means that future competition in cultural tourism will gradually shift from “building more attractions” to “creating better experiences.”
Visitors no longer want only to see a landmark or listen to a traditional explanation. They want to enter the story, interact with the environment, and establish an emotional connection with culture.
From Digital Displays to Complete Experience Solutions
In the future, we will see increasing adoption of:
- AI-powered digital tour guides
- Virtual human interpreters
- Real-time interactive experiences
- Immersive environments capable of dynamically generating content based on visitor behavior
For companies specializing in digital display technologies, this transformation also represents a change in their role.
The value we deliver should not be limited to a digital exhibit, a display terminal, or a transparent screen.
Instead, we must provide complete experience solutions—systems capable of carrying cultural narratives, supporting long-term operation, and continuously evolving with new content and visitor needs.
Technology Becomes the Foundation of Future Cultural Experiences
LED displays, projection systems, artificial intelligence, XR technologies, and virtual production platforms will continue to play important roles in the future of cultural tourism.
However, these technologies will gradually evolve from being competitive advantages into essential capabilities.
The organizations that successfully complete this transformation—moving from technology providers to experience creators—will have the opportunity to define the next generation of cultural tourism benchmarks.
