On May 20th, the ceremony of Laozi Digital Human Launch and Online Promotion, named "Dialogue Across Time and Space", took place at the Hangu Pass Historical and Cultural Tourism Zone, renowned as the "Millennia-Old Strategic Pass and Birthplace of Taoism". This marks China's first digital human of Laozi, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as AI, 3D modeling and natural semantic interaction. Relying on the study of over 100,000 philosophical annotations, the project has constructed a "Tao Te Ching Semantic Knowledge Graph", enabling real-time human-machine interaction and dialogue centered on philosophical works such as the "Tao Te Ching".
Within the same day, the "Hangu Pass Base of the Global Laozi Thought Dissemination Research Center of East China Normal University" was simultaneously inaugurated, according to the Organizing Committee of Sanmenxia Yellow River Cultural Tourism Festival.
Historical records note that over 2,500 years ago, Laozi -- an 80-year-old archivist of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty -- journeyed westward from Luoyang, the ancient capital, riding a dark ox, and arrived at Hangu Pass. He stayed there for over seven months, composing the well-known philosophical masterpiece "Tao Te Ching" of more than five thousand characters. This book not only holds a pivotal position in traditional Chinese culture but has also been globally disseminated and studied, becoming the most translated and widely distributed Chinese classic. It has so far been translated into nearly 100 languages with over 2,000 editions.
This event is one of the components of the 30th Sanmenxia Yellow River Cultural Tourism Festival. With the theme of "Pillar of Stability -- A Thriving Yellow River", this festival will last from May 17th to 25th, featuring a total of 9 main activities.
Located in western Henan along the middle reaches of the Yellow River, Sanmenxia is regarded as one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. The Yangshao Culture and Laozi's philosophical legacy, which originated here, have profoundly shaped the development of Chinese heritage.
Source: The Organizing Committee of Sanmenxia Yellow River Cultural Tourism Festival
