Driven by China’s national cultural digitalization strategy, digital technologies are profoundly transforming cultural inheritance, industrial development and public cultural experience. As the birthplace of Qi Culture, Zibo has witnessed rapid growth in its cultural and tourism industry in recent years. This paper summarizes the achievements of Zibo’s digital cultural industry, analyzes its prominent problems including insufficient capital investment, talent shortage and weak industrial integration, and proposes targeted development strategies. The research aims to help Zibo activate traditional cultural resources, build characteristic digital cultural IP, and realize the high-quality development of regional culture. It also provides referable experience for the digital transformation of cultural industries in similar cities.