Yu Zheng, exhibition director of "Animated Version of the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" and chief designer of the exhibition at the China Pavilion of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China, meets the media Tuesday to share his design concept for the animated version of the Song Dynasty scroll painting at Hong Kong Science Museum. The exhibition opens today at the AsiaWorld Expo. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Over one fourth of the tickets for the approaching Hong Kong showing of one of the star attractions of the Shanghai Expo were sold on the first day of ticket sales in the city.

The exhibition of the animated version of The Riverside Scene at Qing Ming Festival, a famed ancient Chinese painting, sold some 260,000 tickets priced at HK$10 on Tuesday out of the total of 600,000 tickets.

Starting Wednesday, ticket sales through the Internet and telephone bookings will commence. The three-week public display opens November 9 at the AsiaWorld Expo.

"Hong Kong audiences will have a splendid visual experience with no difference from the visitors to the Shanghai Expo," said Yu Zheng, a department director of Crystal Stone, the computer graphics company that adapted the artwork.

The exhibit, projected on a giant screen more than 120 meters long and 6 meters high, has been attracting crowds to the China Pavilion of the Shanghai Expo.

"But Hongkongers are much luckier as they will be allowed to stay for one hour while Shanghai Expo's visitors will be sent out after a mere five minutes," Yu said at a press conference at Hong Kong Science Museum on Tuesday.

The exhibition, divided into 11 consecutive one-hour sessions, will start at 10 am every day.

"I strongly suggest audiences view the animation from the very right, following the tradition of appreciating an ancient painting," Yu said.

The audience will see on screen moving people, running water, goods for sale, boat trackers shouting on the river and boats plying the waters.

The program will present a day-to-night cycle every four minutes.

The night time view was not depicted in the original painting nor in any of the adaptations of the theme by other Chinese painters. In the animated version, the night time scenes are considered a highlight.

"Without sunshine, we lighten the ancient city with various lamps - the ones on the city gate, those lifted by hand, hung out of stores and floating on the water," Yu said.

"In contrast to a chaotic and congested Kaifeng in the daytime, the audience will see a relaxed and peaceful city, with diners gathering at wine shops and food stands," he added.

Yu said it is theoretically possible simultaneously to hold multiple exhibitions, as the exhibit is an animation projected onto a screen, enhanced by sound and light effects.

The exhibition will cost HK$18 million, with HK$4 million of the total contributed by the Jockey Club, according to Leisure and Cultural Services which is conducting the event jointly with the Shanghai government.

China Daily

(HK Edition 10/20/2010 page1)