Mogao's major relics come from about 500 caves dating to the fourth century that cover the Tang and other epochal dynasties, with the importance of the murals, sculptures and writings extending far beyond their religious significance to place Dunhuang as a cultural icon for the world's great civilizations.

The home travel program itself is the latest of the heritage site's digitization moves. More than 220 caves have been digitally archived through projects with international art organizations in previous decades, according to Wu Jian, director of the cultural relics digitization institute at the Dunhuang Academy, which manages and studies Dunhuang's revered artifacts.

The continued digitization of Mogao serves as a fitting complement to the physical experience of visiting the iconic destination, Wu said.

The National Art Museum of China also beefed up its online and digital viewings amid the outbreak, inviting the public to its exhibitions "without leaving home", it said.

The capital museum's virtual Chinese Painting segment in its Tribute To Donors exhibition alone displayed 175 works selected from more than 3,000 donations over the years.

The art stretched through ancient and modern times, including the major categories of landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, to showcase "the basic clues and general characteristics of the development history of ancient and modern Chinese painting", it said.

Taking stock of the digital trends that were already emerging even before communities bore the brunt of the epidemic, Qiu Zhijie, dean of the School of Experimental Art at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, said the confluence of art and technology is definitely growing.

"The history of art has always been about a long vein of artists using the latest scientific and technological achievements of their era to think about human art, technological progress and common development," Qiu said during an art forum in Beijing.

"We need to think about how we can continue to … humanize our technology so that it can really be used for our well-being."

The online cultural offerings amid the COVID-19 public health emergency covered many other creative spheres. One recent music festival, involving the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation and drawing more than 70 leading figures from the arts, entertainment and literary fields, provided what event organizers said was much-needed support for family ties, social cohesion and cultural exchanges, in the face of psychological and other pressures brought about by dealing with the virus.

A piano piece by accomplished Japanese composer and music producer Ryuichi Sakamoto was a highlight of the event, which attracted about 23 million online hits and more than 6 million responses.

In his message to children, the Japanese composer said: "It must be hard not to be able to go out and play, but… use that time to read a lot of books and listen to a lot of music. Painting, writing poetry, playing musical instruments and watching movies aren't bad either.

"And don't forget to exercise at home. Let's do our best to get over these difficult times!"

Other art and music luminaries similarly pitched in with digital messages of encouragement and best wishes for families affected by the temporary suspension of classes and social activities.

"Many of life's details await our patience and multiple perspectives. We can use our time at home during this special period to communicate with ourselves, our family and space, through physical perception and exploration," choreographer Dai Lu said.

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. If one only remembers to turn on the light," musician Zhang Jiadi said.