Artefacts come alive with technology
FUZHOU: Xu Shaoqing stood in front of a large screen as a picture of a golden earring the size of a basketball appeared.
“The jewellery dates to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC),” the caption read.
Xu took out his phone, scanned a QR code beside the illustration, and a link with information about the earring opened on his phone.
The presentation is part of a new experience offered by the latest exhibition at the provincial museum in Fujian province.
A 4-by-2m high-definition touch screen displays facts about more than 300 artefacts from an exhibition about the Maritime Silk Road.
“If visitors miss the real exhibi- tion, they can still enjoy it on the screen,” said Gong Zhangnian, deputy director of the museum.
“You can even browse the exhibition at home or on your phone.”
Technology is making its way to more Chinese museums these days.
The country’s cultural protection agency issued guidelines for local branches, pledging to invest more in the digitalisation of artefacts.
China had 4,872 museums as of late 2016. They receive around 900 million visitors annually.
Shaanxi province, which has China’s second-largest cultural collection, announced last month that it had created digital archives for more than half of its 282 museums.
“We are planning to use a space of 1,100sq m for a smart exhibition,” said Gong, explaining that augmented reality and virtual reality tools will be used to provide a better interactive experience for all.
Cultural institutions like the Fujian museum are teaming up with tech companies to promote cultural protection.
The China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation announced last week that it will cooperate with Intel to protect the Great Wall of China.
Intel will use its artificial intelligence technology and drones to create HD images and 3D models of the cultural site, as well as gather necessary information for its renovation, said the foundation. — Xinhua