Ladies and gentlemen, our case analysis is themed on multicultural life. And now, let's start. Hi, I'm Alex, my professor at the Confucius Institute here in Boston. told us about this Harvard Dunhuang Week, and she said she could take us to the event. I heard they have a bunch of VR devices at the exhibition, allowing visitors to have an immersive journey of Dunhuang. They even offer some games for visitors to play.

You know, I really can't miss such a cool exhibition. I'm Professor Chen. Tanya Cushman Reviewer:" Peter van de Ven Curator of this Digital Dunhuang Immersive Exhibition, for years I've been working between cultures.

My job is to make ancient stories resonate with modern audiences. Today I'm here to observe how people from different backgrounds view and feel Dunhuang for the first time. Wow, that's incredible. The flying figures, the colors... I finally get why people say this VR thing makes you feel like you're just inside a cave.

And I can't wait to try its games. Alex, be patient. Before you rush in, you should understand what you've just seen. Yeah, but that's what gets people hooked, right? the fun part. Alex, enjoyment is fine, but Dunhuang carries centuries of devotion. Each line, each gesture has meaning. Like what? What you just saw was cave 285, building 538 AD.

It's the earliest Dunhuang cave with a precise date. The mirrors include Buddhist deities, Taoist figures like Fuxi and Nuwa, and even scenes of hunters and animals. It's a reflection of a world where myths and daily life coexisted. And on the south wall, the Fei Tian, celestial beings with flowing ribbons. That's one of the highlighted stories now. Yeah, I remember. Those Fei Tian are just like superheroes, something straight out of a Marvel movie.

Alex, they are not superheroes. They are fei tian, the symbols of spiritual liberation. Their flight represents their freedom from material weight. Hmm, maybe. But to me what's cool is just how real they are. I mean, that's what catches people's eyes nowadays, right? So, professor, can I go and try the game mode now?

I heard there's one where you can explore the whole cave freely, like a quest. Alex, if you focus only on these fragments, you miss the whole picture. Dunhuang should be seen as a system where belief, art, and devotion are all woven together. I get that, Professor. But can I just view it first? Does everything have to be a lesson? Or can I just explore the fun part first?

Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. May I offer a thought? We just talking about whether my professor would give me permission to go and play the game It not about permission Alex It about our respect for history I understand But maybe we looking at the same thing from different perspectives For example, when we see the Feitian, we might notice they have no wings.

Yeah, that actually confused me. I thought of them as Chinese angels, but angels need to have wings. These don't. So how do they fly? In Western cultures, flying usually requires wings, something physical. It's more about cause and effect. But in Buddhism, flying is that of the spirit. The Chinese angels fly not because they have power, but because they are free.

Exactly. You know, in Greek mythology, humans could not fly. Only gods like Hermes could touch the sky. And when the mortal Icarus tried to do the same, his wings melted as he approached the sun. That story always reminds me of how the West often sees flying as a challenge of power, something to be earned. Yeah, like flying is always about breaking limits, using tools or courage to go beyond what's possible.

Right, and that's why I like to think of Feitian from another angle. They don't fly to fly. Their flying isn't about conquering nature. It's about transcending what's possible. Or we can think of it this way. Iron Man flies because of technology. His suit gives him power. But Superman flies because it's who he is. It's innate. The Feitian are like Superman. Their freedom doesn't depend on power or effort. It's their nature, their spirit.

Wow, I actually get it now. It's a really cool way to think about it. Yeah, and I never thought I'd understand them for superheroes. But it works. And do all caves have Fei Tian? Or are they only in cave 285? Not in all the caves. Some caves focus on sutras, others on donors or daily life. And Fei Tian often appear in caves where music, offerings and transcendence are emphasized.

And what about the colors? Are they original? Or how could they last for such a long time? Actually, it's the mineral pigments. But technology helps us preserve them digitally now, before time fades them away. And that's why I kinda love technology. It doesn't replace tradition, it lets it breathe and come alive again. Yeah, and maybe preservation can also come from innovation.

So, VR isn't just play. It's more like a bridge, just like what you guys are doing right now. Wow, I came here for a VR game, but I'm leaving with a lot more. I guess it's just like learning a new language, but just with my own eyes. Yeah, and go ahead Alex, try the game now, and maybe this time... You...

I think the Feitian aren't just beautiful visuals or images. They carry ideas of freedom and grace that still speak today. Deal. And I promise this time I will think a little deeper. Yeah. And Curator, your explanation is super. You truly help people understand things.

Thank you. I just tried my best. It is wonderful that the Fei Tian of Dunhuang, after centuries, are finding new ways to take flight. Ladies and gentlemen our case is a demonstration of intercultural communication in action The initial conflict emerges because Professor Chen high style requires symbolic background for true comprehension while Alec's low-context preference views the contextual explanation as an obstacle to his immediate and explicit goal.

However, the culturally intelligent curator Li Jing helps create a shared third space that lowers the contextual barriers and facilitates the co-construction of meaning. Our narrative demonstrates an intercultural communication challenge that is effectively evolved through the persuasive framework, the classic AIDA model, attention, interest, desire, and action, which was put forward by the pioneer in advertising, Elma Lewis.

Attention is captured instantly by the immersive VR visuals. Interest is sparked when Alex connects art to his own world, comparing the FATN to superheroes, his familiar frame of reference. Desire is cultivated by the curator Li Jing, whose brilliant mediation transforms Alex's superficial interest into genuine motivation to understand the deeper meaning. Finally, action is achieved when Alex chooses to re-engage with the exhibition equipped with a new perspective.

So we believe technology can serve as a great entry point in cross-cultural communication. So, in our case, technology provides a necessary visual scaffolding for Li Jing's analogy. So, by providing an engaging and personally relevant experience, this digital exhibition motivates Alex eventually to seek deeper cultural understanding, a goal sought by Professor Chen. And we also believe that individual effort can scale to industry-wide strategies.

Our national cultural heritage industry, like museums or cultural institutions, should adopt a unified strategy to use high-quality digital media like AR or VR tours, interactive exhibits, and etc. to enhance global attention and interest and found programs like curator training to highlight shared values and stories and to translate desire into action by transforming a one-time and passive visitor into long-term cultural advocate.

Thank you.