By Wang Zhe, People’s Daily

With a simple scroll of the mouse, the city of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong province, comes vividly into view – high-resolutionbuildings rise sharply, their intricate details clearly rendered.

At his workstation, Hu Zhenbiao, chief systems architect at the Qingdao Institute of Survey and Mapping, introduced a city-scale 3D simulation platform: a full-scale digital twin of the city.

Real-scene 3D modeling has become a vital strategic resource and production element in the development of digital cities and the broader digital economy. By offering accurate, spatial-temporal depictions of urban spaces, these technologies provide vital insight into the dynamics of modern city life, infrastructure, and ecosystems.

The platform, officially launched in March 2021 under the leadership of the Qingdao Institute of Survey and Mapping, represents a landmark in urban digitization.

“Behind this platform lies more than six months of aerial photography, the processing of millions of images, and the 3D modeling of hundreds of thousands of buildings,” Hu explained.

Qingdao’s varied topography – marked by hilly terrain and dramatic elevation changes – necessitated the use of oblique aerial imaging to capture raw imagery and build an accurate 3D model.

For this phase, the project team deployed manned fixed-wing aircraft equipped with 150-megapixel, five-lens oblique aerial cameras. The aerial survey covered the entire urban area, achieving a ground resolution of 15 centimeters and maintaining more than 70 percent image overlap to maximize accuracy.

Hu noted that certain structural details – such as eaves and building undersides – were sometimes difficult to capture due to limited aerial angles, requiring on-site supplemental photography. “We used a combination of hybrid restoration and modeling techniques to accurately reconstruct the structures,” he said, pointing to the Qingdao International Conference Center on his screen. “Those eaves, for example, were recreated using 3D modeling.”

In March 2022, following expert review, the project was officially launched for citywide application. Today, the platform covers Qingdao’s entire land area – 11,000 square kilometers – as well as 800 kilometers of coastline, 49 bays, and seven inhabited islands.

“Fire reported on the eastern slope. Please respond immediately,” came the voice over the radio at the emergency command center in Qingdao’s West Coast New Area.

Qi Degang, deputy headof the area’s emergency management bureau, responded quickly. “The nearest water source is Reservoir No. 37 in Lingshanwei, about 700 meters away.”

This exchange occurred during a forest fire response drill on Xiaozhu Mountain. Displayed prominently on a large screen in the command center was a real-time, 3Dforest fire map – showing the fire’s location, affected area, and smoke direction.

“Our drones send back live footage, which is directlyfed into the 3D platform,” explained Mu Kun, head of forest fire response at the emergency management bureau.

A new call came in: “There’s a fork ahead – what’s the fastest route?”

Mu quickly zoomed in, selected a mountain trail and charted a path for the responders. “This trail is only one meter wide. Rescuers will have to go on foot. Elevation gain: 200 meters.”

“The 3D model allows us to act with greater speed and precision,” Qi added. “It helps us identify access routes, calculate burn areas, and direct field personnel efficiently.”

To date, Qingdao’scity-scale 3D simulation platform has been shared with over 60 municipal departments. It supports more than 100 key functions, including disaster prevention and mitigation, urban planning, social governance, and urban renewal. The platform also underpins over 70 digital government service applications and records nearly 100 million uses annually.

“Compared to traditional 2D maps, 3D modeling offers greater realism, dimensionality, and accuracy,” said Xue Hongli, deputy head of the Qingdao Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning. “It creates a holographic digital twin of the physical world, providing strong spatial support for fine-grained urban management.”

Xue emphasized that cities are constantly changing and 3D mapping must evolve in tandem to capture these transformations with fidelity.

At the bureau’s headquarters, staff members examined two versions of a digital model for a former mining site in Qingdao’s West Coast New Area. The comparison revealed tangible signs of ecological restoration – more vegetation and a gentler slope.

Qingdao is home to 898 legacy mine sites. In the past, inspectingthese sites required a full month of on-the-ground efforts. Now, with the help of the 3D model, the same work takes just five days.

Since 2023, the city has carried out annual temporal updates to the city-scale 3D simulation platform, enabling it to track urban changes with precision and support data-driven analysis and evidence-ba

By Huang Xiaohui, People’s Daily

It was just past midnight at Jinyang elderly care home in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area when nurse Zhao Zhanping received an alert on her phone, indicating that Wang Mingxiang on Bed No.2, Room 324 needed immediate attention as abnormal blood pressure was detected. Zhao rushed to the room without hesitation.

The first to detect the issue wasn’t a caregiver but a smart mattress under the elderly resident. At the same time, Wang’s family received the same alert on their phones.

Thanks to the real-time monitoring system, Wang, who has a history of cerebral infarction, was promptly taken to hospital and treated in time.

At Jinyang elderly care home, smart mattresses represent just one of many intelligent devices now integrated into daily operations. In the lobby of the facility stands a large electronic display, an information system that provides real-time monitoring of residents’ health statuses, clearly showing the time, location, and status of any risks and interventions.

“While this system serves as the brain of our operations, the smart devices installed throughout the facility function like eyes and skin—constantly sensing and feeding information back to the center,” explained Chen Xue, director of the care home.

“Bathrooms and showers are high-risk areas for falls. The ceiling lights here double as ‘electronic radars’ as they illuminate the room and also detect falls or other emergencies,” Chen told People’s Daily.

Shanghai is one of China’s most rapidly aging cities. According to municipal plans, the city aims to establish at least 100 smart care homes by the end of 2025, with more than 70 already built so far.

“The original purpose of building smart elderly care homes in Shanghai is to enhance institutional efficiency and improve service delivery through technology,” said Li Sujin, deputy director of the elderly services division at the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.

According to Li, Shanghai is expanding the implementation of tech-enabled elderly care products in institutions, and building a more professional, efficient, and integrated smart care ecosystem.

For frontline workers like caregiver Chen Juxiu, the digital transformation has already made a noticeable difference.

While assisting 96-year-old Zhong Jianmei with bathing, Chen simply pressed a button and a robotic transfer device co-developed by the care home and a tech firm automatically lowered its arms and footrests to lift the resident from her wheelchair and move her into the shower area.

“Assisting seniors with limited mobility used to be really challenging,” Chen recalled. “I remember once it took four caregivers to lift a 90-kilogram resident. Now, with this robot, one person can safely complete the task—less physical strain, lower risk.”

Jinyang elderly care home is managed by Puhui Pension Service, which oversees 16 facilities. “Staff shortages and an aging workforce are real challenges,” said general manager Gao Wanjie. “With smart devices taking over repetitive, physically demanding tasks, our caregivers can focus more on providing personalized, high-quality services, and on addressing the emotional needs of our residents.”

For 95-year-old He Junmian, one of the first residents to move into the upgraded smart facility, the change is evident: “Caregivers now have more time to talk with us, and the service feels warmer and more attentive,” she said. Her old call bell has been replaced with a visual intercom system, making it easier to reach staff when assistance is required.

From obstacle-avoidance wheelchairs and robot servers to AI-powered chess companions, smart eldercare homes are introducing a growing array of age-friendly innovations that benefit both residents and staff.

“With continued innovation and new technologies being applied, we envision future care homes evolving into elderly care industry hubs,” Gao added.

According to Chen Xue, the average monthly fee at Jinyang is around 5,000 yuan ($694), a mid-to-low price by Shanghai standards. “Our prices haven’t increased with the smart upgrades,” she noted.

But she also emphasized: “When using smart technologies, we must always take into account how residents feel. Technology can never fully replace the warmth of human care. A truly intelligent care home must combine efficiency

By Yang Mingfang, Aerdake, People’s Daily

At dawn, the scent of rose tea wafts from a teahouse tucked inside the alleys of ancient Kuqa city, Aksu prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Inside, owner Abdukader Mamtimin gently strums a dutar, a type of traditional long-necked, two-stringed lute, awaiting the day’s first customers.

After finishing their tea, visitors often stroll into a nearby music and dance digital experience center, immersed in the beauty of ancient mural art.

When night descends, the starry dome of the Kuqa nang cultural complex sparkles under the stars, echoing with camel bells from theatrical performances, while the night market bustles with the energy of street vendors.

Kuqa, historically known as Qiuci, once served as the seat of the Anxi Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and stood as an important hub along the ancient Silk Road. Asone of the historical and cultural cities that boast the longest history and richest cultural relics in Xinjiang, Kuqa is hailed as an”open-air museum.” The Qiuci culture nurtured here is renowned for its distinctive artistic appeal and profound cultural depth.

In recent years, Kuqa has been bringing new vitality to its rich historical traditions by integrating cultural preservation with tourism, as part of a broader initiative known as “Cultural Enrichment of Xinjiang.”

In 2012, China’s State Council designated Kuqa as a state-level historical and cultural city. Since then, the local government has placed heritage conservation at the heart of its development agenda.

In 2023, Kuqa launched a project to renovate old residences, with a particular focus on its older dwellings. In collaboration with the Tsinghua Heritage Institute for Digitization, the project began with a comprehensive survey of traditional dwellings in the old towns of Kuqa. Renowned experts in heritage conservation were invited to train local craftsmen, ensuring that traditional techniques could be passed on and revived.

“We follow the principle of minimal intervention, using original materials and traditional craftsmanship whenever possible,” explained He Yan, president of the Tsinghua Heritage Institute for Digitization.

The restoration focuses on preserving the architectural and historical authenticity of the dwellings while integrating cultural elements into revitalization efforts. Once-dilapidated alleyways have been transformed into vibrant spaces, attracting a steady stream of visitors while providing residents with new income streams.

“Our house was restored, more tourists are coming, and our income has gone up. Most importantly, our children are learning about Kuqa’s rich history and culture,” said local resident Memet Yimit.

In Kuqa’s Resitan subdistrict, the delicate shimmer of Etles silk dances in the breeze, while the rhythmic clinking of handmade copperware rings through the space. This is the Qiuci intangible cultural heritage workshop, a vibrant hub of craftsmanship housed in a former grain warehouse, repurposed in 2024 to better preserve and innovate traditional craftsmanship.

The workshop features production zones, interactive visitor areas, traditional exhibition halls, and modern digital displays. It covers 25 categories of intangible cultural heritage, allowing visitors to explore craft-making processes, appreciate the intricacies of their creations, and purchase creative cultural products all in one stop. Since opening to the public in 2025, the workshop has attracted more than 8,000 visitors daily, becoming a vibrant new cultural landmark in Kuqa.

Kuqa is a repository of intangible cultural heritage, with 119 officially recognized representative items. To better protect and pass on these traditions, the city has taken a range of targeted measures. At the heart of these efforts is the Kuqa Cultural Center, which offers a wide range of training programs for traditional crafts. Its outreach extends beyond urban areas, bringing heritage education and artisanal skills to rural communities and helping integrate heritage practices into everyday life in the countryside.

To boost the enthusiasm among the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, Kuqa has implemented targeted funding programs and performance-based incentives for heritage preservation. The city also promotes intergenerational mentorship, encouraging veteran artisans to pass on their knowledge and skills to younger generations.

“We hope more young people will join the cause of cultural preservation and help bring ancient traditions to life,” said Luo Zhijuan, head of the Kuqa Cultural Center.

Local schools have also joined the effort, offering specialized classes that introduce primary and secondary students to traditional arts and crafts, reinforcing cultural identity from a young age.

With support from design and planning professionals, Kuqa has revitalized a 1.2-kilometer stretch of ancient alleyways known as Qiuci Lane. Through micro-renovations that preserve the original architectural style while incorporating Qiuci cultural elements, the area has become a popular destination for tourists.

Focusing on Tomur Peak and Qiuci culture, the city is building a Silk Road cultural tourism belt that blends natural beauty with cultural depth.

By embracing its rich historical legacy and breathtaking natural landscapes, Kuqa is charting a path of integrated cultural and tourism development, while cultivating distinctive tourism brands rooted in local heritage.