Tourists observe Tongzhou's "Randengta" (lamp pagoda) and its surrounding ancient buildings in the metaverse environment through AR (augmented reality) technology.

On December 5, China's first large-space immersive AR-based exhibition featuring cultural tourism opened at the Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Scenic Area. More than having the chance to witness what the Grand Canal looked like centuries ago, visitors can interact with characters within the metaverse environment, to feel more directly the charm of the culture behind the Grand Canal.

Using a space map engine as the core technological tool, the exhibition integrates AR, VR (virtual reality) and AR-based spatial computing for super large scenes, to bring the the canal's hustle and bustle hundreds of years ago and its history into a virtual world. Visitors can enter the metaverse when they stand in the scenic area and they use their phones to scan the codes on the buildings in front of them. As tourists walk in the scenic area, digital characters on the screen will move accordingly.

The project is currently being trialed, allowing citizens and tourists to experience it at the Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Scenic Area before the commencement of its official operation which is expected to become a possibility before the Spring Festival.　　

(Source: Beijing Daily)