Construction of a digital platform for Nuo opera based on artificial intelligence

Bouyei Opera is one of the Nuo operas performed by the Bouyei people, the main ethnic group in Libo County, Guizhou Province. With a long history, Bouyei Opera has become an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in China. However, the current development of Bouyei Opera is facing challenges in terms of talent cultivation, conservation of cultural heritage, as well as cultural promotion. Nevertheless, the advancement of artificial intelligence and information technology provide necessary technical support for the collection and promotion of China's ICHs. In this paper, we first focused on collecting and classifying various Nuo operas in China. To address the enormous number of intangible cultural heritages and the disadvantages of relying on human resources to classify them, we utilized deep learning (DL) to annotate images and videos automatically. Specifically, we adopted clustering methods and a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN)- based unsupervised learning model to extract the semantic features for classifying all the ICHs. Then we obtained six types of databases covering the history, performance, style of singing, masks, cultural continuity, and troupes of Nuo operas, and designed web pages based on JavaScript frameworks according to these databases. We aim to provide a better visual experience to attract the public's interest in Nuo operas. Finally, we used augmented reality (AR) technology to enhance the interaction at the terminal and offer a platform for the public to gain a broader understanding of non-heritage cultures and skills, thereby increasing the visibility of non-heritage products.