Huge market for diverse museums supported by new tech

Three-dimensional (3D) holographic images are seen by many as belonging solely to the realm of science fiction but for Wei Xuyao, the same effect can be achieved in museum exhibitions without the use of 3D glasses.

Wei started his business in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu province, in 2013.

His company focuses on developing holographic projection technology for exhibition services.

“Integrating technologies with traditional culture can create a huge market,” he said.

Last year, the company completed a project which brought alive a collection of images of Confucius at one of the most famous scenic spots in Nanjing.

“We used holographic projectors to project 3D images of Confucius into the air, and the ancient scholar can even ‘flutter’,” Wei said with excitement.

Innovations like this are transforming traditional exhibitions and making Chinese museums more diverse, he added.

“Chinese cities boast a large number of museums which exude the charm of traditional culture, but they need to rely more on trendy technologies to stand out and attract the public, especially the younger generation,” said Gao Ge, deputy secretary-general of the National Culture and Technology Innovation Service Alliance.

Themed “Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion,” this year’s campaign for International Museum Day, which fell yesterday, included various special activities held across China.

Featuring advanced technology, the events further built platforms of communication between museums and the public.

In collaboration with Xinhua News Agency, the National Cultural Heritage Administration launched a platform to showcase the best of the online exhibitions of China’s museums at the opening ceremony of the International Museum Day celebrations in Nanjing, the main venue for the celebrations.