The virtual reality enjoys multisensory, immersive, interactive and imaginative features. In recent years, the development of the virtual reality technology has provided a new way for the protection of the cultural heritage. This paper reviews the applications of the virtual reality technology in the cultural heritage protection based on the information of the Web of Science and CNKI from 2010 to 2019, focusing on the material and intangible cultural heritages. It is found that the researches of virtual reality have mainly focused on the artifacts, the alligraphy and painting, the sculpture and the architectural sites in the field of material cultural heritage, and in the field of intangible cultural heritage, the researches have mainly focused on oral stories and sound, traditional skills and customs. With the advances of technology, the speed and the accuracy of the 3D modeling are continuously improving, and the addition of sound enhances the immersion of the virtual system. On this basis, the research direction is highlighted.

cultural heritage  /  virtual reality  /  augmented reality