Shanghai’s historic buildings go digital

QR codes have been attached to more than 2,400 historic buildings and protected areas in Shanghai, enabling people to “read” the stories behind them, and a digital approach will be undertaken this year to provide a more immersive experience for visitors, city cultural and tourism authorities announced yesterday.

Visitors can read the texts, some of which are bilingual, view new and old pictures, listen to audio and watch videos providing virtual tours simply by scanning a QR code with their smartphones.

So far, 2,437 buildings across the city are on the list following a three-year campaign, and 1,037 historical buildings have opened to the public, the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism revealed.

“The project enables residents and tourists to experience the warmth and charm of the city,” said Fang Shizhong, director of the administration.

“Architecture is like a live museum and each brick contains memories and stories. Reading architecture is more than reading the building itself, but also our city, its culture and people. The city’s architectural stories should be read, heard, seen and experienced by people.”

In 2021, digital technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and cloud platforms will enable people to experience Shanghai’s architecture in a digital way, Fang said.

These will include audio presentations by residents and tourists sharing stories about Shanghai’s architecture taken from an audio story database.

Solicitation of photos from residents and tourists capturing the beauty of the city’s architecture will be launched, and an architecture photo database will be created.

Online discussions and architecture souvenir design contests will be launched on social networking platforms.

Comments from residents and tourists about Shanghai’s architecture will be collected and analyzed via big data.

A culture and innovation bazaar centering on the city’s architecture will take place this year, featuring time-honored brands and culture and innovation companies, to display the splendor of the city’s historic buildings with intangible cultural heritage.

A team consisting of experts, volunteers and guides will be formed to promote Shanghai’s classic architecture.