'Best Way to Get to Know Each Other Is to Travel': Professor from Renmin University of China on St Petersburg, Tourism Development and Project with HSE University
HSE University-St Petersburg and Renmin University of China applied to implement a joint project focused on the cultural gene of Russian and Chinese cities. At the II International Scientific and Practical Conference ’Information Technologies in the Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage’, Yangyang Song, Deputy Director of the Institute of Creative Industries Technology at Renmin University of China, told about cooperation prospects and how the heritage and digital communications shape a city image.
'Cultural Heritage Keeps Disappearing'
— In your speech, you talked about digital technologies as a tool for preserving culture. Why is it especially important now to use artificial intelligence and virtual reality for work with heritage?
— Today, cultural heritage has to face a danger of disappearing. The modern lifestyle and environment often turn out to be incompatible with traditional forms of culture. If we don't do anything, lots of heritage elements will simply disappear.
Digital technologies allow us to preserve these elements in a new form and overcome the limitations of space and time by making them available to people all around the world. An especially interesting tool in this regard is artificial intelligence. It can offer people content corresponding to their interests and demands, which means creating an individual bond between a person and cultural heritage.
Besides, AI lowers the entry threshold. If earlier it used to be specialists who dealt with heritage preservation, today, any person interested in culture has a tool to explore, record and promote it.
— You often use the term 'cultural gene'. What is this term for you?
— A cultural gene is different from a cultural resource. It is not a separate object or tradition but a common element which can be found in many phenomena. Languages, customs, behaviour patterns, family practices, elements of intangible heritage—all of these may contain cultural genes.
If we imagine cultural heritage as a huge archive, genes are a kind of coordinate grid which helps to structure and describe the accumulated experience.
Today, it is especially important for artificial intelligence. AI works with data but often understands the cultural context poorly. This entails mistakes and distortions. Cultural genes help to preserve authenticity and provide for succession in the process of digital reproduction of culture.
'Traditional Culture Shouldn't Be Isolated'
— What is the most difficult about turning a local tradition into a story anyone in the world can understand?
— The main task is to find the emotional connection with the audience. Traditional culture shouldn't be isolated. It cannot exist only in its own coordinate system and solely strive for preserving complete authenticity. It is much more important to find meeting points with a modern person, trigger an emotional response and show why this culture is meaningful today.
Mastering new ways of communication is no less important. The youth explore culture through films, games, digital platforms and social networks. That is why many elements of Chinese heritage became known to the world thanks to modern media products.
For instance, the traditional Chinese architecture found a new audience thanks to the game series 'Assassin’s Creed', and elements of Beijing opera became recognisable after featuring in the popular game 'Genshin Impact'.
'Best Way to Become Closer is to Invite People to Come'
— This year, HSE University-St Petersburg and Renmin University of China have applied to implement their joint project. It focuses on the influence of cultural heritage, digital communications and tourist experience on Russian and Chinese city brands. Why is this research so important and up-to-date now?
— China and Russia are strategic partners; however, the countries' citizens still don't know each other well. And the best way to get to know each other is to travel. When a person comes to another country, they get a chance to see it with their own eyes and experience its daily life. That is why research on cultural heritage, digital communications and city brands takes on special significance.
— By 2030, Russia is planning to welcome more than 5.5 million Chinese tourists. How can the results of our joint project help Russian cities to create a proper digital image to attract such a flow of guests from China?
— For many Chinese citizens, modern Russia is still a little-explored country. In the Chinese media space, you find more images of the Soviet times than stories about today's Russian life.
Today, Russia attracts Chinese tourists not just with famous mountains and rivers—for instance, Lake Baikal—and not just with cultural and historical monuments and magnificent palaces and fortresses. In fact, now, Chinese tourists are more eager to see the lifestyle of the city and country—how the locals live, how they spend leisure time and work; they want to experience this lifestyle.
Digital media and technologies allow us to turn all these things into large cultural products and recognisable images, so that the audience can understand the country better and strive to visit it. That is why such products and content showing the modern Russian lifestyle can attract Chinese tourists. Then, to my mind, it won't be that hard to reach the rate of 5.5 million Chinese tourists.
— HSE University and Renmin University of China are flagship universities. In your opinion, what are the main advantages of joint work?
— Renmin University of China is traditionally considered one of the leading centres of humanitarian and social sciences. However, today, it is especially important for these disciplines to keep the connection with real life and real social processes.
That is why the partnership of our universities has great potential. It allows us to unite strong research schools of both countries and create projects, which will be helpful both for the academic community and society in general.
— It's your first time in St Petersburg. What did you see the city like?
— If I have to choose one word, it is 'prosperity'. Here, you feel the energy, life and a lot of young people. I was impressed by the architecture, the city atmosphere and its dynamics.
I've arrived recently and only started getting to know St Petersburg. In the upcoming days, I definitely plan to visit the Winter Palace and also roam about the streets to discover the city without a thought-through route. Sometimes, these walks help me see the most interesting things.
