“Heart Flows with Zen”: Exploring Multi-Modal Mixed Reality to Promote the Inheritance and Experience of Cultural Heritage

The preservation of cultural heritage (CH) is a complex and promising field. Driven by technological advancements, digitization has emerged as a crucial approach for revitalizing tangible/intangible cultural heritage (TCH/ICH). However, current research and practice remain limited in their exploration of abstract forms of ICH, such as traditional philosophies and ideologies. In this study, utilizing Zen as a context, we designed an immersive mixed reality (MR) experience system, Flowing with Zen, based on formative study and cultural symbol analysis. The MR system integrates multi-modal interfaces, motion capture, environmental sensing, and generative computing, enabling users to engage with four scenarios through meditation, life appreciation, and experiential Zen practice, providing the embodied experience of Zen. Comparative user evaluation (N = 51) revealed that the MR system has significant advantages in eliciting engagement and interest from users, enhancing their aesthetic appreciation and cultural understanding, and increasing the accessibility of Zen. Our research proposes a novel approach and design inspiration for the digital inheritance of abstract ICH.