The Xi'an City Wall, initially built around 1,400 years ago in 582 AD during the Sui dynasty, now extends 13.74 kilometers, surrounding the ancient city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province, north-west China. As one of the oldest, largest and best-maintained ancient city fortifications in China, the wall has faced significant preservation and protection challenges. This is because its inner structure, primarily made of tamped earth, has eroded over time due to the elements.

However, AI has come to the rescue, solving this problem by creating a digital twin model of the wall with centimeter-level accuracy. This model utilizes over 3,000 monitoring points and more than 1,300 visual sensors placed along the entire wall. Along with additional data, restoration logs and visitor operation details, this system is currently overseen by a digital comprehensive management platform, or "super brain," which monitors slight indicators of structural stress to forecast possible risks.

"This platform, which makes full use of current facilities and resources, was ultimately achieved with the help of experts, researchers and 14 laboratories specializing in wall preservation," said Zhao Bin, director of the Xi'an City Wall Digital Industry Innovation Center.

"Cultural heritage is not merely a relic to be exhibited; it must be brought to life using digital technology," he said. To effectively create the platform took a collaboration of digital technology with cultural heritage, resource integration, innovative ideas and experimentation.

According to Zhao, the digital platform has been significantly improved thanks to the alliance of experts and researchers from various disciplines. Not only does it play a vital role in overseeing the preservation of cultural heritage and offering early alerts, but it is also useful in managing cultural tourism, ensuring emergency safety and controlling floods.

Zhao said that the digital transformation of cultural heritage will transition from isolated innovations to a holistic system enhancement in the future. He believes that this Chinese solution could be adopted globally, enabling cultural heritage sites worldwide to benefit from China's digital technology.