Shanxi's exhibition area at the 9th Digital China Summit showcased a stunning digital rendition of the Chaoyuan Tu from the Taoist temple of Yongle Palace. Utilizing AI and Mixed Reality (MR) technology, the display revived the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) mural, offering an immersive experience of "gods worshiping the Primordial Celestial Venerable". 

The Chaoyuan Tu at Yongle Palace. [Photo/Shanxi News Network]

Spanning over 400 square meters, the Chaoyuan Tu features nearly 300 Taoist deities paying homage to the Primordial Celestial Venerable. Renowned as the "Oriental Art Gallery", this masterpiece exemplifies the pinnacle of Yuan Dynasty mural art with its majestic composition and exquisite detail.

Due to preservation efforts and the temple's architectural constraints, visitors to Yongle Palace can only view the mural from a distance, missing intricate details such as garment textures and color layers. However, this limitation was overcome at the summit's Shanxi experience zone. By donning MR glasses, attendees could see the deities vividly come to life, allowing for close inspection of facial expressions and clothing patterns, as well as a 360-degree view of the figures.

Visitors don MR glasses to experience the Chaoyuan Tu. [Photo/Shanxi News Network]

This digital revival not only animates the mural but also transforms it into data assets. For the first time, the deities possess digital identities that can be accessed and utilized.

During the summit, Shanxi Cultural Relics and Museum Industry Group, China Unicom Shanxi Branch, and Shanghai Wansheng Huatai Technology Co signed a strategic cooperation agreement, aiming to use the Chaoyuan Tu as a pilot project to explore new pathways for the circulation of digital cultural relic assets.