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Chinese Attraction goes Digital

October 18th marked the 150th anniversary of the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French armies. Known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness and more traditionally as Yuangmingyuan; the complex of palaces and gardens located in northwest Beijing was a resort for the imperial families of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). For the past sixteen months researchers have worked on the ‘Digital Yuanmingyuan Project’, aiming to rebuild the ancient imperial park with the use of virtual technology by digitalising historical material. Digital Yuanmingyuan is based on an open platform that has utilised the latest advances in opto-electrical and sound technologies to engage viewers.

Located just outside the west gate of Yuanmingyuan is Tsinghua University and this is where, for over a year, a research team of architects and engineers have attempted to create the virtual reconstruction of the site using powerful 3D graphic technology. These enhancements in technology will enable visitors to see what the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan looked like before it fell into neglect and decay. The aim was to create 146 computer generated images and twenty two short videos, online, in time for the anniversary. This reflects one-fifth of the teams planned palace coverage, with more intended in the future years incorporating further photographs and information gathered overseas by scholars and researchers.

Through referring to historical records, original drawings and archaeological findings, the team working on the project were able to establish exactly what every small part of the building looked like. Information of this kind was then fed through specialized computers, generating the results - highly accurate 3D images of the historic building. The program employed is known as ‘CityMaker’ and was developed by the company Gvitech who typically use it for urban planning. Nonetheless this project saw it being used for the first time on an ancient architectural complex, with results showing great detail and being reported as 95 percent faithful to the original; CityMaker did not fail to impress in terms of delivery on this diverse assignment.

The Old Summer Palace has been opened to the world for centuries, but with the completion of the Digital Yuanmingyuan Project coming close, China hopes that people across the globe will become more aware of China’s national attractions. China hopes that the advertisement digitally of such a popular and prominent tourist attraction will catalyse and convert into real tourist visits to the site in Beijing.

This project has been one of a number of initiatives announced to increase tourist numbers flocking to China. Just this week a new policy was passed allowing overseas tourists in a group to get visas upon arrival in East China’s Zhejiang province; this will greatly boost local tourism. If the Digital Old Summer Palace reaps success, the next Digital Project of another famous Chinese attraction is likely to be close behind.

By Amanda Woby