ByteDance's donation of 25 million yuan to the Ruzang project highlights its commitment to preserving China's cultural heritage. Using advanced technology, the project aims to digitize ancient texts and make them accessible to the public. Collaborating with Peking University, ByteDance's efforts signify a significant step towards safeguarding China's intellectual legacy. In addition to this, ByteDance's partnership with the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation further underscores its dedication to preserving ancient texts for future generations.
In a remarkable display of commitment to preserving China's rich cultural legacy, ByteDance, the renowned Chinese internet giant behind Douyin (TikTok's Chinese version), has donated 25 million yuan (US$3.4 million) towards the digitization of a groundbreaking national cultural initiative. This project, known as the Ruzang or "Confucian Canon" project, aims to compile all known Confucius classics with the innovative assistance of artificial intelligence technology.
The generous donation from ByteDance will play a pivotal role in supporting the digitization efforts of the Ruzang project, a collaborative endeavor initiated in 2003 and spearheaded by the esteemed Peking University. Zhang Yu, the chairman of the Beijing ByteDance Public Welfare Foundation, expressed optimism about the impact of the Shidianguji digital platform, a product of the collaboration between ByteDance Open Lab for Digital Humanities and Peking University, in streamlining this important cultural undertaking.
Since its inception in 2022, the Shidianguji platform has successfully digitized over 2,000 ancient texts by leveraging cutting-edge technologies like optical character recognition and AI to enhance text recognition accuracy. This milestone achievement marks a significant step forward in the preservation and accessibility of China's vast repository of ancient texts, estimated to number around 200,000, with only a fraction fully digitized into text format.
Zhang highlighted the foundation's commitment to making the outcomes of the Ruzang project permanently accessible to the public through the platform. By providing convenient access to traditional Chinese culture and Confucian teachings, ByteDance aims to enrich the cultural tapestry and promote broader engagement with China's intellectual heritage.
The announcement comes at a crucial juncture as China reinforces its intellectual foundations and governance philosophy through cultural initiatives amidst growing ideological competition with the West. The Ruzang project, which delves into the profound influence of Confucianism on Chinese philosophy, politics, and society, has garnered momentum since President Xi Jinping's personal endorsement in 2014.
With the collaboration of approximately 500 researchers from China, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, the Ruzang project is poised to become a monumental collection of Confucian texts, with an estimated cost of 150 million yuan (US$21 million). The project's ambitious scope includes compiling key Confucian works into extensive volumes, ultimately creating a comprehensive collection of over a billion characters—a landmark achievement in Chinese historical documentation.
Emphasizing the importance of digital accessibility, Wang Bo, the vice-president of Peking University and director of Ruzang, underlined the project's goal of shaping contemporary readers' spiritual needs and influencing society at large. ByteDance's tireless efforts in restoring ancient texts through the Shidianguji platform demonstrate its unwavering dedication to preserving China's cultural heritage.
In addition to its involvement in the Ruzang project, ByteDance has collaborated with the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation to establish a dedicated fund for the preservation of ancient books. This initiative aims to restore over 100 rare volumes, including treasured texts like the Yongle Dadian encyclopedia from the Ming dynasty and the Dunhuang manuscripts from ancient China, enriching the cultural tapestry for generations to come.
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