Yongle Palace Mural Art Exhibition, hosted by the government of Ruicheng county, Yuncheng city, North China's Shanxi province, and Shanxi's Yongle Palace Mural Preservation Research Institute, opened on Oct 24 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France.

This event is Yongle Palace's first official overseas exhibition. It features a half-scale replica of the mural Chao Yuan Tu (Worshiping the Lord of Heaven) and showcases mural art reproduction, color exploration, digital restoration, costume replication, and cultural and creative product displays.

Yongle Palace, located in Ruicheng county, Yuncheng city, Shanxi province, was built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and designated a key national cultural heritage site in 1961. Its exquisite murals are a valuable source of information for researching Chinese religious culture, art, and ceremonial systems and have inspired recent domestic artistic creations.

On the exhibition's opening day, an academic seminar was held, inviting experts from China and abroad to discuss the protection, inheritance, and innovative development of cultural heritage in the digital age.

A French guest at the exhibition was impressed by the use of artificial intelligence technology in mural restoration. He expressed appreciation for the unique charm of Chinese mural art and China's rapid technological advancements, stating that China's forward-thinking approach to cultural heritage preservation can inspire cultural heritage protection efforts in Europe.

Wang Ying, deputy head of the Chinese permanent delegation to UNESCO, highlighted how the exhibition and academic seminar provide a platform for dialogue between China, France, and the international community in cultural heritage preservation, fostering better understanding and cooperation.