Digital applications in China’s urban–rural heritage conservation: technological development, governance challenges, and optimisation pathways

Abstract This study critically examines how digital technologies contribute to the sustainable conservation and revitalisation of urban–rural heritage in China, focusing on their empowering effects and inherent challenges. Through a qualitative multiple case analysis of 30 representative Chinese projects, it assesses technological applications in digital recording, information management, and public dissemination. The findings indicate a paradigm shift from static preservability to dynamic sustainability, driven by technologies such as high-precision scanning and Digital Twin, which enhance documentation accuracy and enable preventive conservation. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain, including gaps in technical standardisation, inherent governance paradoxes, algorithmic bias, data silos, and constrained community agency. These issues stem from a governance model that frequently prioritises technical rationality over humanistic values, such as cultural accuracy and narrative sovereignty. In conclusion, the study proposes an integrated rebalancing framework advocating for context-sensitive technical adaptation, a collaborative governance logic model for digital heritage, and the adoption of an ethics-aligned benchmarking matrix aligned with international charters. This approach aims to steer digital heritage practice towards more inclusive and sustainable outcomes.