Shenzhen Museum expands digital collection

Shenzhen Museum announced Sept. 10 that its “Collections Digital Repository” has completed a new round of upgrades and data expansion, adding about 1,100 2D collection records and interactive 3D model displays. Its new “related tags” feature helps users discover related items quickly and precisely.

Combined with the first phase of the repository launched in 2024, the platform now provides data on about 2,500 cultural relics. The newly released records span diverse categories, including bronzeware, ceramics, inscribed metal and stone, coins, weapons, paintings, calligraphy, furniture, and artifacts documenting the history of China’s reform and opening‑up. Each item is accompanied by professional interpretive text totaling more than 110,000 characters.

Shenzhen Museum webpage displays newly added records for ancient Chinese beds. Photos by Wang Changwu

Shenzhen Museum webpage shows "related tags" listed under several porcelain items.

Visitors can access “藏品数字库” (Collections Digital Repository) via the Shenzhen Museum website and its WeChat miniprogram, to view the images and in-depth descriptions with a single click. 

The newly "related tags" — covering information such as era, location, material, form, technique, ornamentation, thematic connotations, and related events — enables associative linking and intelligent searching across parts of the repository. Museum staff said the function will be gradually enriched until all items are fully linked.

The digital rollout breaks the physical limits of museum space, supporting academic research, public education, and cultural and creative product development. This effort enhances the digital preservation and revitalization of cultural relics and makes museum data more accessible to the public.