31 The Metaverse Overview : Vision, Technology, and Tactics | Technology expanded to encompass VR game- based social networking, VR movie social networking (e.g. Douban) and VR travel social networking (e.g. Mafengwo). • Commerce and trade: VR/AR technology is now used for virtual product displays, for example in Alliance Studio's 3D VR mall, where people use virtual navigation to move between and browse stores and products and access payment gateway support. This convergence of online and physical shopping is a highly competitive new shopping model. • Education and training: Users enter a virtual education space through VR/AR head-mounted display equipment, enjoying a more attractive, interactive and intelligent learning environment. For example, STRIVR products used in employee training, which increases the participation of employees, reduces the amount of training required, and helps people master content faster. • Culture: Using interactive simulation technology to digitize the cultural heritage of ancient buildings, breaking the constraints of time and space and improving the display effect and efficiency of cultural landmarks. For example, the Forbidden City AR Cultural Tourism Exhibition integrates face and gesture recognition with somatosensory interaction, enabling exhibitors to freely and easily obtain information that is pivotal to the long- term protection, renewal, promotion, and continuation of historical and cultural sites. Digital twins and AI – manufacturing and medicine • Manufacturing: Product design, process optimization, quality management, supply chain management, predictive maintenance, and customer experience analysis can use digital twins. For example, in automobile manufacturing, Siemens uses digital twins to simulate and verify each stage of development, avoiding possible failures in actual production. • Healthcare: Digital twins used in drug clinical trials, medical care, and surgical rehearsals help provide patients with more efficient, and effective services. AI can create pre-life simulations to build digital prediction models for patients, providing prediction record analysis and decision support throughout their lives. Creative, interactive platforms – social networking, film, and television • Social: Content creators are encouraged to build virtual worlds and create content and interactions in the Metaverse. For example, Horizon Worlds allows users to enter virtual spaces as creators, have real collaboration and sharing experiences, and explore constantly created and evolving virtual worlds. • Film and television: Creative interactive platforms provide innovative impetus for content forms including film and television, variety shows, and short videos. For example, Tencent Video is an online interactive creation platform that encourages original creators to participate. Blockchain – smart city and finance • Smart city: A city's information, energy, transportation, and other infrastructure is combined on a blockchain to give full play to the huge value of data. At the beginning of the construction of Xiongan New Area, it began to use blockchain technology to empower smart city construction. • Finance: Blockchain technology connects the global financial system to make transactions more efficient and cheaper. The Metaverse has more advanced means of payment, because its economic activity supports the transaction of virtual goods. Pure digital currency made possible by blockchain can be used to buy goods. Technologies will eventually converge to empower various application scenarios, liberate productivity, advance insights, improve decision- making, and upgrade business.