Famous Chinese painting brought to life with holographic technology

BEIJING -- The Palace Museum will bring a famous Chinese painting to "life" using holographic technology, enabling visitors to immerse themselves in the virtual scenes of the painting, according to Shan Jixiang, director of the museum.

The painting, "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival," is a masterpiece by artist Zhang Zeduan from the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1127 AD). It reveals the lifestyles people from of all walks of life in the then prosperous capital Bianjing, today's Kaifeng in Central China's Henan province, during the Qingming Festival.

The 360-degree holographic technology and 4D dome screen will make characters of the painting -- street vendors, passengers on barges, and customers in shops -- more dynamic, Shan said.

"Cultural relics are not just lifeless remains. Armed with technology, the painting can bring the audience back to the Song Dynasty and impress them with the beauty of the art," Shan said.

The exhibition will be available in spring and summer. The painting is one of the 1.86 million cultural collections of the Palace Museum.