A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings: An Exemplary Case of Global Cultural Heritage Preservation and Curation Through Cross-cultural Collaboration and Communication

Museums are more than repositories of cultural treasures; they actively collect, preserve, and exhibit cultural heritage for local and global audiences, reflecting shared values and serving as important institutes for cross-cultural exchange. Within this chapter, we will explore “中国历代 绘画大系”, A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, an impressive printed series of Chinese artworks dedicated to preserving and presenting ancient Chinese cultural heritage in all of its glory. This unprecedented collection, along with its curation and communication, emerged through intensive global exchanges, cross-cultural dialogues, interdisciplinary collaborations, and technological innovation, positioning it as an exemplary case for museums of the future. The Collection has been documented in an encyclopedic multi-volume book series, which has been donated to universities worldwide, and it has also been exhibited in museums both within and beyond China, communicated through digital media platforms, and has even inspired the creation of a dedicated Collection Hall complex building, “中国历代绘画大系典藏馆” , at the Yuhang District in Hangzhou. Within this chapter, we approach this collection through two complementary disciplinary lenses. First, from an art historical perspective, we trace the story of the collection’s formation, the challenges of gathering and preserving Chinese paintings dispersed across global institutions, and the essential role of digital mediation in this process. Second, from the fields of media studies and communication sciences, we examine the establishment of the Collection Hall by Yuhang Municipal Government and Zhejiang University, and its innovative use of technology and spatial design to curate and communicate art across cultural and geographic borders in and beyond the museum. Together, these perspectives reveal how museums can evolve into dynamic, digitally mediated spaces for cultural dialogue and heritage preservation in a globalized world. Keywords – Chinese paintings, cultural heritage, preservation, art communication, cross-cultural collaboration, digital mediation, interdisciplinarity