Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU) has made significant strides in preserving and innovatively transmitting intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The project, “Three Yu Lan Festivals: Research, Transmission and Promotion,” led by Academic Vice President Professor Selina Chan Ching, was recently invited by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Beijing Municipal People's Government to participate in the 2025 Beijing International Week of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Held from 17 to 21 October 2025 at Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, the event featured 283 ICH works from 61 countries and regions across five continents. HKSYU was the only representative from Hong Kong. Using innovative technology — including Virtual Tours, a Virtual Museum, and Augmented Reality (AR) postcards — Professor Chan introduced the rich cultural significance of Yu Lan Festival (Chiu Chow Tradition) to a global audience.

More than a showcase of Hong Kong’s progress in heritage conservation, the event underscored HKSYU’s role as a cultural bridge between the Greater Bay Area and the international community. Throughout the five-day event, Professor Chan, Professor Chan Lai-Pik and Dr Patrick Ke Pingchuan from the Department of Sociology were on-site to present the university’s cutting-edge work in digital preservation of intangible heritage.

The centerpiece of HKSYU’s presentation was the Virtual Tour and Virtual Museum. Visitors were captivated by the specially designed AR postcards, which depicted scenes from the 2023 Kwun Chung Yu Lan Festival — including altars and bamboo theatres. By scanning QR codes, visitors viewed these traditional structures in vivid 3D animations, blending cultural heritage with modern technology.