Henan Opera on the Global Stage: A Digital Intervention for Overcoming Cultural Distance through AI and VR

Henan Opera, a key Chinese intangible cultural heritage, faces significant barriers in global dissemination due to profound cultural distance extending beyond language to include aesthetic and contextual gaps. Traditional outreach methods struggle to bridge this divide. Drawing on qualitative data from multiple stakeholder groups and comparative case analysis, the study develops the AI-VR Integrated Communication Model as a new paradigm for understanding technology-mediated intercultural engagement with performing arts. Artificial Intelligence (AI) facilitates intelligibility through adaptive translation and contextual annotation, while Virtual Reality (VR) provides immersive, embodied experience via virtual theaters and interactive narratives. Together, they transform passive viewing into active cultural dialogue. This study offers some insights into dynamically preserving and revitalizing traditional performing arts, demonstrating how targeted technology can effectively shorten cultural distance and foster global appreciation.