Digitization of Cultural Heritage in China and Pakistan: A Comparative Analysis Under the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

Over the past decade, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought China and Pakistan into increasingly close contact in the cultural sphere. One of the more recent areas of collaboration has been the use of digital technologies to safeguard and share cultural heritage. This study examines how the two countries have approached the digitization of cultural relics, comparing their developmental paths and highlighting both the convergences and divergences in practice. The analysis considers the role of advanced technologies, such as three-dimensional scanning, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI), alongside the influence of policy frameworks and cross-border cooperation mechanisms. Particular attention is given to the ways in which these tools and strategies shape the visibility of heritage and public engagement with it. Beginning with an overview of the BRI’s function as a driver of cultural exchange, the paper moves to a detailed account of the current state of digitization in China and Pakistan before turning to a series of case comparisons that illustrate similarities as well as distinctive national characteristics.