Huawei is turning Xi’an into a live showcase for intelligent tourism. The company has joined China Telecom Shaanxi and Shaanxi Culture Industry Investment Group. Together, they are combining advanced mobile networks with artificial intelligence services.
The deployment focuses on Datang Everbright City, a major tourist area in Xi’an. The site can attract more than 200,000 visitors during peak periods. That creates heavy demand for video uploads, livestreams, maps, and interactive travel tools.
At the center sits a commercial 5G-A network. It uses three-component carrier aggregation, also known as 3CC. This method combines several spectrum channels to increase data capacity. Huawei said the network reaches 3.5 Gbps download speeds. Upload speeds can reach 600 Mbps under peak conditions.
This matters because tourism now depends on mobile content. Visitors stream performances, upload short videos, and use real-time apps. Faster uplink performance can improve those services. Huawei also said large-uplink 5G-A can support peak upload rates of 900 Mbps.
However, the location created a difficult design challenge. Datang Everbright City is a cultural and historic district. Operators could not simply add visible equipment everywhere. The companies used macro and micro base stations to limit visual impact.
The upgraded network includes 46 NR sites across the area. It also includes 31 5G-A sites, 219 cells, and 179 RRU devices. This setup creates continuous coverage across the attraction. Standard 5G also supports the advanced layer.
Beyond connectivity, the project includes a dedicated culture-focused AI system. BoGuan is a multimodal large language model. It was developed by SCG and Huawei for tourism and heritage services. Multimodal means it can handle text, images, audio, and video.
The model has been trained on a large cultural dataset. Huawei cited more than 1.2 PB of training data. That includes millions of images, videos, audio files, and structured text records. It also includes 3D models linked to cultural assets.
BoGuan does not work like a generic chatbot. It supports practical visitor services in the Go-Shaanxi app. Tourists can build itineraries, adjust plans, and ask travel questions. Huawei said the service had reached over four million users by March.
Another tool, Zhiying Camera, adds a more creative angle. It combines user photos with AI-generated historic scenes. Visitors can create personalized images inspired by Xi’an’s past.
The platform may also help museums and cultural institutions. It can support digital preservation, content creation, and cultural product design. Artisans may use it to speed some creative work. Yet they must still protect the authenticity of traditional craftsmanship.
Edric Chu, general manager of Huawei’s Shaanxi office, said, “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. Moving forward, Huawei will continue working with our partners to enhance cultural heritage preservation with digital and intelligent technologies, and stimulate development within the cultural tourism industry.”
The Xi’an project shows a wider telecom shift. Networks are no longer only transport systems. They now support intelligent services, digital media, and local economic development. For operators, tourism may become a strong testbed for network monetization.
