From memory to model: engaging communities in the virtual reconstruction of their heritage

Purpose: This paper presents a digital heritage project in China that leverages virtual reality technology to reconstruct the past, offering reflections on engaging local communities in digital heritage practices. It shares empirical insights, proposes actionable recommendations and highlights the power dynamics between community members and technological professionals. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a participatory methodology, incorporating survey-based consultations during the initial investigation phase, on-site visits for data collection and capture and interview-based user testing during the iterative development of the virtual model. Findings: From 96 survey responses, six on-site visits and 21 user interviews, the study identifies key characteristics of community participation in digital heritage practices. It highlights challenges such as text-to-model conversions, suboptimal conditions for capturing viable models in private environments and the potential of virtual reconstructions to enhance community interest, emotional connection and contributions to expanding content. Research limitations/implications: The study offers actionable recommendations for digital heritage projects aiming to cultivate deeper and more meaningful community participation. It underscores the importance of addressing technical and social challenges in co-creation processes, emphasising the need to balance technological practices with local knowledge and lived experiences. Originality/value: This paper focuses on empowering local communities in co-authoring their past memories in a virtual environment, rather than merely using digital tools to enhance conventional forms of community engagement, such as remote access to digitised content or supplementary interpretations of pre-existing heritage materials.