Tencent Uses AI and Games to Preserve Jingdezhen's Ancient Porcelain Heritage

SHENZHEN, China, July 25, 2026 – Tencent (00700.HK) announced today the launch of an initiative utilizing AI and gaming technologies to preserve and share the cultural heritage of Jingdezhen's new UNESCO World Heritage site. The project aims to revitalize and make accessible a thousand-year-old tradition of porcelain craftsmanship through digital methods.

The initiative, titled "Digital Jingdezhen: Porcelain Craft Adventure," is part of a broader effort to establish a global model for technology-driven cultural heritage preservation. By integrating AI and gaming platforms, users can explore Jingdezhen's porcelain-making traditions and experience traditional craft techniques through interactive play. This launch coincides with the inscription of the Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites onto the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Central to the project is an AI-powered dataset containing over 30,000 documentary records, 5,000 ceramic specimens, and data on nearly 1,000 ceramic artifacts from collections worldwide. Building on this data, Tencent has developed tools such as the "Jingdezhen Ancient Ceramics Gene Database" and the "Digital Jingdezhen AI Companion" for researchers and the public. The goal is to make this unique heritage living and accessible in the digital age.

Beyond gamification, Tencent has developed technologies to digitally reconstruct historical environments and create AI-assisted digital characters that interact with users. This offers new avenues for the public to experience and learn about Jingdezhen's porcelain history. Additionally, a "Digital Heritage Guardian" program encourages community involvement in the upkeep of physical heritage sites, creating practical avenues for engagement in preservation and ensuring its continued vitality.