Mapping goes high-def

Chinese tech firms master surveying to thrive in the age of apps and auto-nomous driving

Walking into the Palace Museum, Beijing's pre-eminent historical site and tourist attraction, a visitor can simply point her smartphone at a palace in the precinct to see the ancient building and its surroundings in 3-D.

The content is vivid and extremely informative. What the palace was used for, how many people are there right now, and how to reach it ... such details are available at fingertips, thanks to the innovative application of a high-definition mapping solution developed by Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.