As museums, archaeological sites, and historical monuments increasingly adopt digital platforms, the challenge has shifted from making heritage visible to making it understandable. Virtual exhibitions, social media, and immersive technologies now allow millions of people to encounter cultural heritage online. However, many digital heritage projects still struggle to communicate historical meaning, symbolism, and cultural context in ways that encourage sustained learning and participation.
The study focuses on the stone carvings found in the Southern Dynasties mausoleums, an important archaeological heritage spread across Nanjing and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province, China. These sculptures represent political authority, religious beliefs, artistic traditions, and ritual symbolism from the Southern Dynasties period. Because the monuments are geographically dispersed and often lack detailed interpretation on-site, digital platforms have become an essential medium for introducing them to the public.
Examining How People Experience Digital Heritage
The researchers adopted a qualitative case study approach to investigate how existing digital heritage platforms support—or fail to support—public understanding.
The analysis examined two publicly accessible WeChat mini-programs dedicated to the Southern Dynasties stone carvings:
- Southern Dynasties Stone Carvings Cloud Exhibition, containing 38 analyzable content pages.
- Shicheng Xiaoge Talks Nanjing, containing 36 analyzable content pages.
The research evaluated how each platform organized content, presented historical narratives, incorporated interactive features, and guided users through heritage interpretation. An iterative thematic analysis was then used to identify recurring barriers affecting user comprehension and engagement.
High Visibility Does Not Guarantee High Understanding
One of the study's most significant findings is the existence of what the authors describe as "high visibility but low intelligibility." While digital platforms successfully increase exposure to cultural heritage, many users still struggle to understand what they are seeing.
The researchers identified five major barriers limiting public engagement:
- Insufficient historical context, leaving users without enough background to understand the cultural significance of the monuments.
- Limited explanation of symbolic meanings, particularly regarding mythological animals, ritual functions, and political symbolism represented in the carvings.
- Fragmented storytelling, where individual artifacts are presented separately rather than as parts of a larger historical system.
- Weak interactive features, with most platforms offering only basic viewing, scrolling, and zooming instead of exploration-based learning.
- Poor cross-platform integration, preventing users from progressing naturally from brief social media exposure to deeper educational experiences.
According to the analysis, users frequently browse images of the carvings but rarely develop a structured understanding of their historical importance because interactive pathways remain limited.
Four Strategies for Better Digital Heritage Design
Based on these findings, the research proposes an Interactive Experience Design Strategy Framework consisting of four complementary components.
The first is content organization, recommending layered information that begins with simple explanations before introducing historical context, symbolic interpretation, and advanced academic resources.
The second focuses on interaction mechanisms. Rather than allowing users only to view images, digital heritage platforms should encourage exploration through detailed annotations, object comparisons, guided learning paths, and interactive tasks.
The third strategy emphasizes cross-media dissemination. Short videos and social media should function as entry points that guide audiences toward richer digital exhibitions and immersive experiences capable of supporting deeper learning.
Finally, the framework highlights the importance of authenticity governance. Heritage platforms should clearly distinguish verified historical facts from interpretations or creative reconstructions while providing references that strengthen public trust in digital content.
Implications for Cultural Heritage Around the World
Although the research focuses specifically on the Southern Dynasties stone carvings, its recommendations extend far beyond one archaeological site.
Museums, heritage organizations, tourism agencies, educators, software developers, and policymakers can apply the proposed framework when designing digital experiences for other forms of cultural heritage. By combining clear storytelling, meaningful interaction, and transparent interpretation, digital platforms can move audiences from simply observing historical artifacts toward genuinely understanding their cultural significance.
The findings are also relevant for governments investing in digital transformation initiatives within the cultural sector. Better-designed digital heritage experiences may improve public education, increase cultural tourism, encourage long-term engagement, and strengthen preservation efforts through broader public appreciation.
As Zhenya Zhu and colleagues from City University Malaysia, Southeast University Chengxian College, and Universiti Kuala Lumpur conclude, effective digital heritage dissemination depends on guiding users from "seeing heritage" to "understanding heritage." They argue that combining layered content, interactive exploration, cross-media connections, and transparent interpretation can significantly enhance both public engagement and the long-term sustainability of digital cultural heritage.
Study Limitations and Future Research
The authors acknowledge that their conclusions are based on publicly available digital platforms and did not include direct user testing. They recommend future research involving participants with different educational backgrounds, age groups, and levels of cultural familiarity. Combining qualitative feedback with quantitative measures such as comprehension, task completion, engagement, and user satisfaction would provide stronger evidence for evaluating the proposed framework.
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