On November 2, the Cultural Heritage Forum on the Study of Shang Dynasty Clothing and the Digitalization of Queen Fuhao of Ancient China was held at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).

Wensheng YAO, University Council Vice-Chairperson and Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection at SUSTech, Wei WANG, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Xinchao SONG, Chairman of the China Association for the Protection of Monuments and Sites and former Deputy Director of the State Administration of Culture Heritage, Yingmin SUN, Director of the Archaeological Heritage Professional Committee of the Chinese Archaeological Society, and domestic experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and cultural heritage, as well as representatives of enterprises and media, attended the event.

The forum focused on the scientific research and application of Chinese cultural heritage in the new era.

In a speech at the opening ceremony, Wensheng YAO emphasized that continuing historical context greatly enhances cultural self-confidence.

Standing on the trend of reform and opening up, and based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), SUSTech must continue its approach at being at the forefront of reform, with disciplines that focus on science, engineering, and medicine, and additional concentrations in business, humanities, and social sciences.

He noted that inviting experts and scholars from the fields of archeology and culture to SUSTech to discuss the application of cultural heritage and conduct in-depth discussions on the revitalization, innovation, and sustainable development of cultural heritage will provide new insights to the University in empowering the protection and inheritance of national cultural relics.

In the report session discussing the results of the study of the Shang Dynasty clothing and the digitalization of Queen Fuhao of Ancient China, Jigen TANG, Chair Professor of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, pointed out that in the past three years, the team at the Cultural Heritage Research Center of SUSTech has built a key research base for humanities and social sciences in Shenzhen.

It has been committed to exploring cultural heritage revitalization by successfully restoring the clothing and artifacts of the Shang Dynasty in China 3,000 years ago, and has used digital technology to design a digital character image of a real person in Chinese history – “Fuhao”, the Queen of the Shang Dynasty.

He noted that this is an important step taken by the archaeological research team of SUSTech towards the application of cultural heritage in the new era.

Wei WANG, Xinchao SONG, Yingmin SUN, and other participating experts and scholars reviewed and exchanged views on the two scientific research result reports, and acknowledged the measures taken by the Center for Social Sciences at SUSTech to promote and practice the application and innovation of archaeological cultural relics.

They believe that Prof. Jigen TANG’s research group has displayed the power of science and technology to achieve scientific research results out of the laboratory, helping the public to understand, support, and enjoy Chinese history and culture.

On the same day, Wei WANG, Xinchao SONG, Yingmin SUN, along with Weirong ZHOU, Director of the China Numismatic Museum, Junlei ZHENG, Professor at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), and Yaohua CHANG, Professor at Beijing International Studies University, jointly unveiled the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Cultural Heritage at SUSTech.

Initiated by SUSTech, and co-sponsored by SUSTech, SYSU, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the University of Macau, the alliance aims to open up cultural relics and archaeological resources in Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Macao, and realize data sharing, mutual learning of achievements, and talent exchange.

This event was guided by the Archaeological Heritage Professional Committee of the Chinese Archaeological Society, hosted by SUSTech, and organized by the Center for Social Sciences and the Cultural Heritage Research Center of SUSTech.

The Center for Social Sciences established a cultural heritage laboratory in 2017 and was approved to build the Cultural Heritage Research Center, a key research base for humanities and social sciences in Shenzhen.

Since 2019, it has worked with more than 30 municipal and provincial archaeological institutions in China to build the Archaeological Ceramic Specimens Database Exhibition Hall as a social science popularization base in Guangdong Province.