Case Name: Xinjiang, China · "Meet Kashgar" Large-Scale Immersive Performance

Case Category: Technological Empowerment for the Inheritance and Innovation of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Case Location: Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China

Case Applicant: Beijing Yujian Culture & Technology Co., Ltd., Xinjiang Xiyu Tourism Investment Development Co., Ltd.

Case Overview:

Case Description

"Meet Kashgar" Large-Scale Immersive Performance is an immersive show crafted with the compilation, inheritance and protection of the Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, as its central theme. The case fully employs cutting-edge technologies including digital lighting, surround sound, holographic projection, high-altitude wirework and stage mechanics, breathing life into Kashgar Ancient City—listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List—through a blend of virtual and physical forms to revive its thousand-year-old charm. More than 20 intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items, such as the Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang, naan-making craft, clay pottery craftsmanship and Atlas silk weaving, are presented in a dynamic, living format and integrated into the immersive drama experience.

Spanning over 8,000 square meters, the venue is divided into four thematic spaces: The prologue Gate of Time and Space uses an installation art light show to showcase the cultural diversity of Kashgar Ancient City as a historical crossroads where Eastern and Western cultures converge. A "gate formation", symbolizing thousands of households, shifts with musical light changes to open a magical portal through time.

The square space Shule Ancient City features a deeply immersive ICH-themed show, with 20 exquisitely designed ICH bazaars recreating the historical prosperity of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural integration. Audiences become part of the drama, singing and dancing alongside performers to break down the "fourth wall" of theater.

The transition hall Pearl of the Silk Road hosts a full-space multimedia digital show, with stunning 360-degree projections depicting iconic Silk Road landscapes including the Taklamakan Desert and Muztagh Ata Glacier, offering an artistic interpretation of Kashgar Prefecture's tourism resources.

The circular space Soul of Music Theater is a 1,500-seat multi-dimensional time-space Muqam epic theater. It leverages a wealth of cutting-edge digital technologies to fully demonstrate the unique charm of ICH culture and realizes a three-layer narrative never before seen in cultural tourism performances, leaving audiences with unforgettable and touching memories.

Solutions and Innovation

The project completed the entire chain of work—from creativity, design and implementation to rehearsal and operation—in just nine months, and this scientifically efficient workflow set an industry record. In terms of design, unlike traditional one-way viewing performances, the project incorporates a full-sensory design engaging audiences through sight, sound, taste, smell, touch and interactive participation. It adopts a "batch-flow hybrid" operation model, where audiences in different batches enter various performance spaces along a timeline; this significantly increases the peak instantaneous capacity of the theater and effectively improves its operational efficiency.

The case has created excellent social conditions for the intergenerational inheritance of intangible cultural heritage in Kashgar Prefecture. Through the "training + stage practice" model, the project cultivates young ICH practitioners. Leveraging its far-reaching influence, the project also creates opportunities for these young practitioners to perform in the show, engage in community outreach and carry out cultural communication activities on campus, truly fulfilling the goal of "one job, one inheritance line".

Social Effects

In its first year of operation, the performance has attracted over 200,000 audience members to the theater, with more than 10,000 UGC posts created on major social media platforms. It has been covered by central media outlets including CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency, Economic Daily and People's Daily Online in over 100 reports, with a total view count exceeding 10 million, exerting a strong spillover effect on promoting local culture and driving cultural tourism flows.

The project has directly created over 200 jobs covering performance, technical and service roles, with ethnic minority employees accounting for 82%. Consumer spending by theatergoers—including dining, accommodation and shopping in surrounding areas—has brought positive industrial interaction for tourism businesses in Kashgar Ancient City and Jiulong Street, stimulating the improvement and upgrading of tourism resource allocation in these areas.

As a successful case of ethnic minority culture protection in Kashgar Prefecture, the project has hosted an investigation by the UN Human Rights organization represented by Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and has received visits from heads of state from the five Central Asian countries on multiple occasions, emerging as an important platform for cultural exchanges with the world. Leading cultural tourism institutions have also come to observe and learn from its full-process consulting model, innovative application of art and technology, and batch-flow hybrid operation system, providing a successful experience paradigm for the development of new forms of digital cultural tourism.

Support for Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 1 (No Poverty)

SDG 4 (Quality Education)

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)