Culture
17:34, 20-Dec-2018
Step into history via VR at Beijing's Palace Museum
Updated
17:06, 23-Dec-2018
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The imperial palace in Beijing, also known as the Palace Museum, is expanding its appeal to the smartphone generation. Their new VR experience is not only delivering a unique viewing experience but also allows people actually to traverse royal gardens, offering unprecedented recreation and interaction.
The newly released VR experience "Royal Gardens" is the 7th of the Palace Museum's ambitious projects to digitalize its treasures.
Visitors may walk directly into the emperor's residence and, through virtual reality (VR), see everything as it was in its heyday, including greenery and animals restored according to historical records.
A visitor tries VR equipment to experience "Royal Gardens" in Beijing, December 19, 2018. /VCG Photo
A visitor tries VR equipment to experience "Royal Gardens" in Beijing, December 19, 2018. /VCG Photo
"Through this VR tool, it feels as if you have the royal garden to yourself, and you can explore every corner of it," said Dong Gangying, Senior Engineer of Palace Museum.
"We've decided to make a test-run for a week, and gather feedback from the audience, and make improvements," said Shan Jixiang, Director of Palace Museum.
The seven-day test run started on Thursday and will end next Wednesday.
Audiences can make reservations online three days in advance. There will be four scheduled screenings every day, with up to 50 people for each show.
The Palace Museum is also considering taking the project to more cities, bringing immersive experiences to a wider audience.