Chongqing—Recently, the "Cloud Tour of Dazu Rock Carvings" metaverse officially launched, bringing a digital rebirth to Dazu's ancient stone carvings. This innovative digital cultural tourism product allows users to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site from anywhere in the world by simply swiping a finger or moving a mouse.
The cloud tour meticulously replicates the real-world Dazu Rock Carvings in a digital environment through advanced digital twin technology. Users can experience the beauty and romance of changing seasons and enjoy a 360-degree view of the ancient grottoes.
The digital tour offers a seamless blend of reality and virtuality, providing an immersive experience with high-precision modeling, 8K ultra-high-definition graphics, and real-time ray tracing systems that integrate user perspective, light direction, intensity, and environment.
Scenes from the “Cloud Tour - Dazu Rock Carving” tour. (Photo/ Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute)
Developed over nearly two years by the Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute, the cloud tour employs cutting-edge digital technologies such as real-time cloud rendering, edge cloud computing, and digital virtual humans. This digital tourism product aims to establish a new cultural tourism pattern of "online cloud tours and offline experiences," promoting the outstanding traditional culture of Dazu Rock Carvings to the world.
Dazu Rock Carvings, a pinnacle of Chinese grotto art, represents the highest level of world grotto art from the 9th to the 13th centuries. In this era of rapid technological development, the Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute is leveraging contemporary advancements to explore new ways of utilizing cultural heritage. Following the launch of the Dazu Rock Carvings Digital Museum earlier this year, which featured VR panoramic tours of the 'Five Mountains' and 3D scans of movable cultural relics, the cloud tour will further enhance the comprehensive display of Dazu Rock Carvings.
The cloud tour not only digitally collects and models the real-world site but also incorporates a seasonal matching and weather system, allowing the digital scene to reflect the real-world seasonal changes and weather conditions of the Dazu Rock Carvings site. Users can choose between "automatic tour" and "free tour" modes, engage in interactive functions such as purchasing digital art pieces, and participate in popular activities like wishing and releasing sky lanterns.
Currently, the cloud tour is available on domestic computer web pages and mobile apps. The next step is to launch the product on global platforms such as Google and Steam, further showcasing the excellence of traditional Chinese culture to a worldwide audience.