In an era of rapid digital advancement, how should we engage with cultural heritage preserved within the flow of history? Should it remain distant and untouchable, admired only from afar, or should it be subjected to purely technical and mechanical visual reconstruction?
The RONGHE Project Team from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University offers a different answer: through digital technologies, cultural heritage can become more than a historical object to be observed. It can evolve into an open cultural space that people can enter, experience, participate in, redesign, and ultimately transform into tangible memories.
As an interdisciplinary research team focusing on Digital Cultural Heritage, Extended Reality (XR), Interaction Design, and Digital Fabrication, RONGHE is guided by the core philosophy of “integration” and “fusion.” The team is concerned not only with the digital preservation of cultural heritage, but also with exploring how traditional cultural spaces can be re-perceived, reinterpreted, and recreated through contemporary digital media, enabling users to actively participate in the construction of cultural value.
The Origin: Ronghe Hall — Beyond Restoration Toward Contemporary Interpretation
The central research subject and design context of the RONGHE system is Ronghe Hall, the former residence of Zhan Tianyou, a prominent figure in modern Chinese railway engineering.
More than a historic building, Ronghe Hall embodies the spirit of modern Chinese engineering, architectural heritage, and local cultural memory. For the RONGHE team, studying this site is not merely an exercise in reconstructing its physical form in three dimensions. Rather, it is an effort to reinterpret the scientific spirit, spatial culture, and educational significance embedded within the architecture.
Decoding the Spatial Language and Cultural Elements of Huizhou Architecture
From an architectural perspective, Ronghe Hall exemplifies the distinctive characteristics of traditional Huizhou architecture:
- White walls, dark-tiled roofs, and courtyard layouts, creating a layered, restrained, and contemplative spatial atmosphere characteristic of Eastern aesthetics;
- Decorative lattice windows and intricate timber craftsmanship, showcasing the refinement and sophistication of traditional construction techniques;
- Mortise-and-tenon structures, water features, and dynamic light-shadow interactions, collectively shaping an environment rich in everyday life and aesthetic appeal.
Within the RONGHE project, these cultural elements are no longer static decorative symbols. Instead, they become experiential and redesignable cultural resources. Through 3D modeling and XR environment construction, they are transformed into digital design elements that users can freely explore, manipulate, and recombine, serving as inspiration for subsequent creative activities.
The RONGHE System: A Hybrid Journey from Virtual Exploration to Tangible Cultural Memory
To encourage users to actively participate in the creation of cultural meaning, the RONGHE system establishes a complete and interconnected cultural experience journey.
Within the RONGHE experience, users first enter an immersive XR environment that recreates the cultural and architectural atmosphere of Ronghe Hall. As they navigate the virtual space, they can explore the intricate patterns of traditional lattice windows, discover the craftsmanship behind mortise-and-tenon structures, and experience the spatial relationships between courtyards, water features, and architectural elements. Through interactive exploration, users collect cultural motifs and design elements that resonate with them.
Building upon this exploration, the system guides users into a co-creation process where the collected cultural elements are reinterpreted and recombined into personalized lantern designs. These digital creations can then be exported as FDM-compatible 3D-printable models, enabling a seamless transition from virtual experience to physical artifact.
In the RONGHE project, XR and 3D printing are not employed simply as technological showcases. Instead, they serve as bridges connecting cultural memory, personal experience, and contemporary creative expression. Users first develop an understanding of the historical site through immersive exploration, then construct their own interpretations through interaction and participation. These interpretations are transformed into unique design outcomes, which are ultimately materialized through 3D printing as tangible objects that can be touched, preserved, and shared.
Through this process, cultural heritage shifts from being a static object of observation to becoming a participatory cultural experience. Users leave with more than a cultural souvenir; they carry away a meaningful memory shaped by their own creative engagement with heritage.
Looking Ahead: Exploring New Possibilities for Digital Cultural Heritage
The RONGHE research team focuses on a range of interconnected areas, including immersive cultural heritage experiences, embodied interaction, cultural element reinterpretation and redesign, user co-creation frameworks, the generation of digital cultural products, and hybrid approaches to cultural communication that bridge virtual and physical environments.
Across these research directions, our central concern remains the same: empowering users to play an active role in the cultural experience. Rather than positioning audiences as passive recipients of cultural content, we seek to create opportunities for exploration, participation, creativity, and meaning-making, enabling individuals to engage with cultural heritage in ways that are personal, interactive, and impactful.
At the heart of our research lies a consistent emphasis on user agency and active participation throughout the cultural experience.
From both social and practical perspectives, our research outcomes offer broad application potential:
Museums and Historic Building Revitalization
Introducing embodied and interactive experiences into traditional exhibitions, bringing cultural heritage spaces to life.
Cultural Tourism and Personalized Creative Products
Enabling visitors to “take cultural memories home” through customized cultural artifacts and experiences.
Campus Cultural Engagement and Design Education
Promoting engineering and design values through hands-on making, combining education with creativity and enjoyment.
Conclusion
The RONGHE Project represents both an inquiry into the future and a practical exploration of new possibilities. Through an open, immersive, and sustainable approach to cultural dissemination, we seek to ensure that historic architecture remains not only preserved in memory and conservation efforts, but also continuously generates new value within contemporary life, education, and the creative industries.
Starting from Ronghe Hall, we look forward to collaborating with more partners who share a passion for culture and technology, jointly shaping new possibilities for the future design of digital cultural heritage.