The Potential of the GUYUK Metaverse for Mongolian Culture and Traditions

Information technology is advancing rapidly, day after day. A clear example is the emergence of metaverse technology, which represents the next level of augmented and virtual reality and finds applications across various fields. Consequently, a pressing question arises among researchers: How can metaverse technology be effectively utilized in education particularly for cultural education? This chapter introduces the GUYUK metaverse, a nomadic metaverse developed by Mongolians, which serves as a platform for disseminating knowledge and culture. To raise awareness of our culture and convey Mongolian customs and traditions related to the “Lunar New Year”, we held an event called “Virtual Lunar New Year” in the GUYUK metaverse. In the framework of the event, we established three virtual museums and introduced two traditional games to increase the participants’ activities. In addition, the participants could wear traditional costumes, interact with each other, and even dance some Mongolian traditional dances. The event was held for three days, and more than 10 thousand users from 21 countries participated and learned about Mongolian culture and traditions. The GUYUK metaverse provided conditions and motivations for learning and playing games together in a virtual environment with no limit on distance and time.