Shanghai experience center brings "The Three-Body Problem" to life

Based on the sensational Chinese science fiction trilogy "The Three-Body Problem," an experience center has been attracting many fans to enjoy an immersive experience since it was opened in Shanghai last year.

Written by author Liu Cixin, "The Three-Body Problem" portrays a fictional past, present and future where earth encounters an alien civilization from a nearby system of three sun-like stars. The novel was initially serialized in Science Fiction World magazine in 2006. The second and third books of the novel were published in 2008 and 2010. In 2014, it was translated into English and won a Hugo Award for Best Novel a year later. It was later adapted as live-action TV shows in both China and abroad.

Inspired by the story of the Stellar-class warship "Gravity," the experience center has brought some fiction scenes in the novel to reality by creating a futuristic space. Covering about 3,400 square meters, the center was designed to set up a diverse range of modern installations and decorations, and has adopted a range of advanced technologies, such as AR, VR, AI and digital interactive art.

Visitors can explore the center following the main storyline of "Gravity" and pursuing the spaceship "Blue Space." During the two-hour space trip, visitors will be able to join the crew of 16 characters and dozens of actors. Many other story branches have also been designed for visitors to experience.

To simulate life in interstellar space, visitors can taste space food in the catering control area, experience hibernation and awakening in the hibernation module, and feel the physical and mental problems that might happen during a space trip. The visitors are no longer spectators, but crew members who can navigate the development of the plot and determine the future fate of humankind and the Earth in the story.

In recent years, the original plot lines of "The Three-Body Problem" have been recreated and produced in several ways, including as publications, movies and TV dramas, animations, and more. This center is the first ever attempt to bring the fiction novel into reality with the use of cutting-edge technology.