A rendering of the King's Park Immersive Nighttime Tour Project in Almaty, Kazakhstan, which is developed by Hangzhou Water Show Culture Group. [Photo/WeChat account: visithangzhou]

Hangzhou's digital creativity is gaining fresh international momentum as two local companies were shortlisted for inclusion among the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's 2025–26 Belt and Road cultural and tourism cooperation projects.

The two Hangzhou projects accounted for a third of Zhejiang province's six, highlighting the city's growing role in promoting the spread of digital culture around the globe.

One project focuses on digital cultural tourism performances. Developed by Hangzhou Water Show Culture Group, it has brought miniaturized, intelligent water-and-light performances to more than 20 countries, transforming Chinese cultural creativity into immersive experiences at overseas destinations.

The other is AI Vista, an AI-powered cultural platform created by Scienjoy and based in Hangzhou's Yuhang district. The AI-powered visual creation platform integrates AIGC, digital humans and localized cultural elements — such as West Lake and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu — to bring Chinese cultural content to international audiences. The platform has already expanded into Middle Eastern markets and surpassed 1 million global downloads.

Together with projects such as the Burj Khalifa light show in Dubai and international animation and film initiatives, the selections reflect Hangzhou and Zhejiang's shift from exporting cultural products to deep, technology-driven engagement overseas, offering new models for high-quality cultural exchange along the Belt and Road.

The user interface of AI Vista. [Photo/AI Vista]