VR brings Naxi culture to life in Lijiang

The 100-meter dynamic digital display painting depicting Naxi culture is the highlight of the museum. [Photo by He Zhanhui/xinhuanet.com]

The Dongba Legend–Naxi Culture Experience Museum located in the Old Town of Lijiang will open at the end of August.

The experience museum featuring Naxi culture and virtual reality (VR) technologies aims to demonstrate that the Naxi people revere the power of nature and live among mountains and water.

The museum consists of five parts, including a Dongba pictograph wall, Naxi epics, a digital display wall of Naxi ethnic customs, VR story experience center and Naxi original artwork.

The Dongba pictograph wall is 33-meters long and 2.5-meters high. [Photo by He Zhanhui/xinhuanet.com]

The Dongba pictograph wall is 33-meters long and 2.5-meters high. There are more than 700 Dongba pictographs on the wall showcasing nine categories, such as plants, astronomy, geography, birds, humans and food.

Dongba culture, the soul of Lijiang, originated from the Dongba religion about 1,000 years ago. Now, it has become a calling card of Lijiang.

The 100-meter dynamic digital display painting of Naxi culture measures 3-meters high and is the highlight of the museum. It was created by hundreds of technicians over the past three years. The painting depicts the Ancient Tea Horse Road (a road linking Southwest China to South Asia) which can allow tourists to experience Lijiang through the ages.

Dongba classics on display at Dongba Legend–Naxi Culture Experience Museum. [Photo by He Zhanhui/xinhuanet.com]

A VR show has 12 scenes for tourists to experience the history of Dongba culture. Professional devices can simulate wind, rain, thunder and lightning.

According to head of the museum, following a two-year construction period, the museum displays traditional Naxi culture through advanced technologies, which will form a new model for the tourism industry.

Original Naxi artworks on display at Dongba Legend–Naxi Culture Experience Museum. [Photo by He Zhanhui/xinhuanet.com]