# A Metaverse Platform for Preserving and Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage
## 1 Introduction
Finally, performance optimization minimizes latency and input lag to prevent motion sickness, while providing accessibility and inclusivity through features such as text readability and support for assistive technologies ensures that XR experiences are enjoyable and educational for all users [11; 12]. As these technologies improve and become more accessible, the metaverse concept becomes more tangible, opening up limitless possibilities for creativity, cooperation, and new forms of social interaction [13]. In this scenario, it is not surprising that cultural heritage (CH) has been found to be fertile ground for the adoption of the metaverse as an innovative tool for expression and investigation [14] since novel opportunities to experience the rich legacy of the past in ways that were previously unimaginable have been created. The capability of users to communicate with one another is a vital element of the metaverse, adding an entertaining dimension to the educative nature of cultural venues [15]. Users can cooperate, share their experiences, explore virtual replicas of historic sites, and sometimes contribute to the cultural narrative, making the metaverse a dynamic and participatory environment. The seamless integration of AR and VR technologies enables different forms of user engagement, offering various levels of immersiveness and interactivity that can enhance the educational and entertainment value of heritage sites, eventually blending into the same \"edutainment\" approach [16]. Multi-user AR experiences enable people to collaborate and engage with digital content simultaneously, generating a sense of community and shared exploration. These experiences rely on client-server architectures that enable users to \"enter\" the same AR environment, allowing for real-time communication and synchronization among users, ensuring that everyone visualizes the same AR content and interacts seamlessly with one another [17; 18; 19; 20]. While AR allows for the creation of interactive experiences in real-world scenarios, in VR the metaverse expresses its maximum potential, since the full sensory immersion provided by VR technology fosters a strong sense of presence and connection among users, enhancing the impact of shared experiences in the metaverse. The capacity to create shared virtual environments where users may interact, communicate, and cooperate in real time opensup a world of possibilities for entertainment, education, and social involvement. Tangible cultural assets typically benefit from VR visual and spatial capabilities, which allow users to immerse themselves in detailed replicas of historical sites or artifacts. The current literature presents several examples of 3D reconstructions of lost, inaccessible, or protected heritage sites using digital technologies [10; 11; 12; 21; 22; 23; 24], as well as digital replicas of museum halls and artifacts [25; 26; 27], becoming multi-user environments in which exploration and learning become a social experience. Although tangible heritage is generally prioritized for its visual attractiveness and accessibility, efforts to foster intangible culture are equally essential for preserving traditions and practices [28]. Intangible cultural assets include practices, representations, expressions, stories, and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage. The metaverse offers a unique platform for documenting, digitizing, and dynamically presenting these aspects, assuring their preservation and continued relevance [29]. The current literature contains very few examples of the metaverse being used to enrich intangible historical material. Among these, [PERSON] et al. [28] developed an information service platform about the historic figure of [PERSON], the founder of Neo-Confucianism, that includes metaverse functionalities to provide personalized services adaptable to the different tourists' needs, while [PERSON] et al.