China-Greece Joint Laboratory for Digital Heritage inaugurated in Athens

This photo taken on July 16, 2024 shows a view of the Forbidden City seen from the Jingshan Park in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

The initiative will consolidate expertise in digital preservation and cutting-edge technologies, laying the groundwork for long-term international research partnerships.

ATHENS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The China-Greece Joint Laboratory for Digital Heritage has been inaugurated at the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, aiming to advance bilateral cooperation in cultural heritage digitization and innovation.

Involving a number of entities from both China and Greece, the laboratory will serve as a platform for joint research on digital preservation, virtual exhibitions, and artificial intelligence applications in heritage protection, said He Yan, director of the digital heritage committee of ICOMOS China.

Georgios Didaskalou, secretary general of the Greek Ministry of Culture, hailed the importance of civilization exchanges between the two countries at the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, emphasizing that digital technologies have opened new pathways for dialogue among civilizations.

People visit Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome, Italy, during the Easter holiday on April 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Konstantinos Nikolentzos, deputy director of the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, said that the laboratory marks a new phase of systematic collaboration between the two countries. He added that the initiative will consolidate expertise in digital preservation and cutting-edge technologies, laying the groundwork for long-term international research partnerships.

Following the ceremony, a seminar titled "Dialogue of Ancient Cities, Exchange of Civilizations" was held, during which experts from both countries discussed the role of digital technology in enhancing the value of cultural heritage.