On September 16, 2025, the tranquil fields of Muxi Village in Dafu Town, Anhua County, were anything but quiet. Instead, they echoed with the sound of powerful engines and the hum of innovation as the Anhua County Agricultural and Rural Bureau hosted a comprehensive field observation meeting on crop straw utilization. This event, attended by more than 100 project leaders from 22 key county-level agricultural initiatives, was not just a demonstration—it was a hands-on learning experience designed to showcase the future of sustainable farming in China.
According to Hunan Daily, the main focus of the gathering was to promote advanced mechanized techniques for straw management, both for returning straw to the field and for off-field applications. The sight was a testament to agricultural modernization: self-propelled and towed balers moved methodically across the fields, compressing scattered straw into neat bundles. Meanwhile, straw crushing machines and low-level harvesters worked in tandem to pulverize and return straw directly to the soil. A semi-integrated harvesting and baling machine demonstrated its versatility, seamlessly shifting from harvesting to baling in one smooth operation. For many in attendance, these were not just machines—they were the embodiment of efficiency and economic promise.
What set this event apart was not just the technology on display, but the depth of knowledge shared. Workers and technical staff provided detailed explanations of each machine’s core parameters, operational efficiency, and safety precautions. As participants observed the process, they gained a clear sense of the economic benefits that straw recycling and reuse could bring to their own operations. It was, as one attendee described, a "direct experience of the economic vitality of straw recycling and reuse."
The meeting also benefited from the expertise of several distinguished guests. Zhang Jianhua, a member of the ninth support group from Hunan Province for comprehensive straw utilization, and Professor Xu Huaqin of the College of Environment and Ecology at Hunan Agricultural University, offered in-depth analyses of relevant policies and practical case studies. They broke down the technical points of mechanized straw crushing and field return, as well as the standardized procedures for off-field operations. Importantly, they addressed the real-world technical challenges faced by farmers, providing solutions and advice that could be immediately put into practice. This collaborative, problem-solving approach helped deepen participants’ understanding of straw resource utilization and equipped them with practical skills to take home.
Just a day later, on September 17, 2025, innovation of a different kind was celebrated in Xi’an at the World Internet Conference Cultural Heritage Digitization Forum. Here, the spotlight shifted from agricultural fields to the depths of the South China Sea, as the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology’s "Digital Nanhai I Shipwreck Archaeological Investigation" was officially recognized as one of the world’s leading examples of digital cultural heritage preservation.
The forum, as reported by Southern+, saw the release of the "World Internet Conference Cultural Heritage Digitization Case Collection (2025)," which featured the Nanhai I project as a representative case. Out of nearly 200 submissions from over 20 countries and regions, only 40 were selected for their innovation, representativeness, and potential for global adoption. The Nanhai I project stood out not just for its scale, but for its pioneering use of digital technology in underwater archaeology.
The Nanhai I shipwreck, discovered by chance in the 1980s, has since been recognized as the world’s richest, best-preserved, and most valuable underwater cultural heritage site. It contains an astonishing 180,000 pieces (or sets) of cultural relics, each offering a window into a millennium-old maritime civilization. As Southern+ describes, the shipwreck is a veritable "treasure trove beneath the waves," nourishing disciplines as diverse as history, archaeology, materials science, art history, and marine engineering. The ongoing research has provided new insights into ancient maritime trade, Song dynasty shipbuilding, and even the environmental conditions of ancient oceans.
What makes the Nanhai I project truly groundbreaking is its integration of advanced digital methods at every stage. The team developed a non-contact aerial intelligent mapping platform—combining dual-direction cranes, laser scanning, and photogrammetry sensors—to collect millimeter-precise, multi-angle spatial data without ever touching the fragile relics. This level of precision has transformed the efficiency and accuracy of archaeological excavation.
In addition, the project adopted a comprehensive "overall excavation + indoor development + real-time digitization" model. By relocating the entire shipwreck to a controlled indoor environment, researchers minimized risks to the original site and were able to conduct meticulous excavations while continuously recording the process digitally. This approach not only preserves every detail for future study but also enables virtual restoration and interactive storytelling, making the ancient ship’s story accessible to a global audience.
Another innovative aspect is the creation of a three-dimensional system for "data association, dynamic protection, and scene restoration." By linking spatial coordinates with artifact attributes, the team broke down data silos, enabling intelligent and dynamic protection of the ship’s structure. With real-time monitoring and responsive digital safeguards, they moved from passive observation to active protection—a leap forward for underwater heritage preservation. Virtual reality technology further enables users to immerse themselves in the excavation process, tracing the original positions and relationships of individual artifacts in a way that was once unimaginable.
The selection of the Nanhai I project as a global model underscores China’s growing leadership in digital heritage protection. The Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology emphasized that the project has established a full-process data chain linking excavation, protection, and utilization. It has also fostered a new generation of "digital archaeology engineers"—professionals trained in both archaeology and digital technology—ensuring that future projects will benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration.
Looking ahead, the team plans to build on their success by integrating artificial intelligence into the analysis and organization of archaeological data. The goal is to create an "AI + underwater archaeology" model that will further enhance the protection and study of underwater cultural heritage, offering new solutions and insights for researchers around the world.
Both the straw utilization demonstration in Anhua County and the digital archaeology breakthrough with the Nanhai I shipwreck reflect China’s commitment to marrying tradition with technology. Whether in the fields or beneath the waves, these projects are shaping the future of sustainable development and cultural preservation, offering models that the world is already beginning to follow.
As these initiatives continue to evolve, they remind us that innovation is not just about new machines or digital tools—it’s about finding creative, practical ways to honor the past while building a more sustainable future.