Palace Museum project to give visitors VR ride along ancient river painting

The fine art masterpiece Along the River During the Qingming Festival by 12th-century painter Zhang Zeduan is indisputably the best-known ancient Chinese painting.

The 5.28-meter scrolled painting gives a panoramic portrayal of flourishing urban life covering all social classes in Bianliang (today's Kaifeng in Henan province), which was the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). It is now housed in Beijing's Palace Museum.

Museum visitors will be able to take a virtual boat ride along the "river" to get immersed in the prosperous scene of Bianliang, which is displayed in the painting, thanks to digital technology. It is scheduled to open to the public in May.