At a time when the revitalization, innovation, and transmission of heritage have become global priorities, China is drawing worldwide attention with its rich cultural legacy and inventive practices.

The Digital Heritage 2025 Youth Makers Competition kicked off with an opening meet-and-greet on Aug 2. Organized by the Grand Bao'en Temple Ruins Museum with strong backing from UNESCO, the event also brings together leading universities including University College London, Goldsmiths, University of London, Tsinghua University, and Southeast University.

The next day, participants immersed themselves in the history of the Nanjing City Wall and Qinhuai River. Over the coming two weeks, they will combine technological innovation with digital tools to create new methods of preserving traditional culture.

The initiative's roots can be traced back to last year, when Nanjing launched the world's first museum-based "makers marathon" focused on the digital preservation and creative reuse of the Glazed Pagoda of the Grand Bao'en Temple. The inaugural competition drew 588 participants from around the globe.

This year's Digital Heritage edition has attracted nearly 700 applicants from 19 countries. From this pool, 31 were selected to take part in the two-week creative sprint. Their challenge is to design an outdoor digital art installation for the rooftop of the museum.

With history as their canvas and technology as their brush, these young innovators are set to show how the past can be preserved, reinterpreted, and kept vibrantly alive for generations to come.