The world's first commercial multimodal large language model (LLM) for cultural tourism, named BoGuan, has entered broad application in Xi'an, China. Developed by Shaanxi Culture Industry Investment Group (SCG) in collaboration with Huawei, China Telecom Shaanxi, and China West Airport Group, the model generates commercial returns by supporting digital IP for intangible cultural heritage, cultural tourism applications, and short drama production. This development injects new momentum into heritage preservation and the cultural tourism industry.
BoGuan, unveiled in September 2025, is built on intelligent computing infrastructure and a high-quality dataset comprising over 1.2 PB of data, including 31 million images, 4.4 million minutes of video, 2.18 million minutes of audio, 510 3D models, and 960 million pieces of structured text. This enables the model to generate highly accurate multimodal content, such as museum-quality presentations of cultural relics. For example, dough sculpture artisan Zhang Beiyuan noted that with BoGuan, he can complete a sculpture that previously took two to three months in less than a week. The model also facilitates the creation of digital IP like the popular cartoon character Tang Biaobiao, which integrates local cultural heritage with the stone carvings of the Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum. Sales of related digital collectibles and creative products have exceeded CNY2 million.
BoGuan powers a range of cultural tourism applications. An AI travel companion agent, available on the GO-SHAANXI app, had already served over 4 million users by March 2026, helping visitors create and adjust travel itineraries and receive real-time performance recommendations. The Zhiying Camera mini program offers paid services that superimpose user photos onto AI-generated historical scenes, allowing visitors to virtually "travel back to ancient times." These new consumption options unlock the business value of quality cultural tourism data. Additionally, SCG uses BoGuan to integrate short drama production with cultural tourism, improving efficiency and quality in Xi'an, a renowned short drama hub.
Complementing the AI model, China Telecom Shaanxi and Huawei deployed a 5G-A network based on three component carrier aggregation (3CC) technology at Xi'an's Grand Tang Mall, a popular tourist attraction. This network delivers peak uplink and downlink rates of 600 Mbps and 3.5 Gbps, respectively—about 10 times faster than common 5G networks. During the 2026 May Day holiday, it supported concurrent access for 23,000 users, ensuring smooth video and social media experiences. Furthermore, 5G-A-powered HD live streaming at the mall has become a key tool for attracting visitors; according to public data, average user dwell time for these live streams nearly doubled and average transaction value increased by 62%.
Edric Chu, General Manager of Huawei's Shaanxi Rep Office, stated, "Artificial intelligence is not simply a stack of technologies. It has become a key enabler that can activate thousands of years of cultural heritage, reshape travel experiences, and inject new momentum into the industry." He added that Huawei will continue working with partners to enhance cultural heritage preservation and stimulate development within the cultural tourism industry.
