OLD ART IN A DIGITAL ERA

Some of China's most precious cultural treasures are getting a new lease of life thanks to incredibly sophisticated electronic wizardry, Xing Wen reports.

At a recent exhibition held by the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, Haiyantang, the largest European-style garden in Yuanmingyuan - or the Old Summer Palace - came alive with water pouring out from the mouths of the 12 zodiac sculptures in front of it - virtually, of course.

The process of how 2,106 stone blocks in the remains of the building were returned to their previous locations before the garden's destruction in the mid-19th century was projected onto a curved wall, allowing viewers to experience the magnificence of the historic architectural masterpiece.