Bringing history back to life

Recent efforts

One highlight of Chengde's efforts to better present its history is the digital restoration of its mountain complexes.

"There are mountain, lake, plain, and palace areas, of which the mountain area occupies about 75 percent, with more than 40 complexes. But for historical reasons, almost none of the wooden structures have been preserved, leaving only their foundations," says Chen Dong, the general engineer of Chengde's cultural heritage bureau.

Since about 2005, Chen has been taking students majoring in architecture at Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts to the site to create digital re-creations of these complexes.

They begin with three-dimensional animation of each complex, from which they make 3D printed miniatures and also write academic theses on the restoration.

Guo Feng, a member of the engineering center at Chengde's cultural heritage bureau, says that they usually try to find the bases of pillars to develop a clear idea of the size and shape of buildings and to collect data. Then, they design a 3D model based on the data and print it.

Technology used in the process includes 3D modeling, virtual reality, and digital twinning.

"Although some of what we use have existed for about 20 years, they have not been widely used to study and restore ancient Ming (1368-1644) and Qing buildings," Chen says.

"By applying digital technology, we can re-create the resort's landscapes. This transformation of cultural resources into digital assets not only facilitates preservation of cultural heritage but also promotes development and use of cultural resources," he adds.

The team has digitally restored 17 complexes, some of which have been on exhibition in Chengde since 2022.

Tao Wenying, 39, a guard, has been protecting Falin Temple for over 20 years. She monitors the condition of the buildings and reports any problems she finds to the cultural protection department.

This summer, she found that the prayer flags in the main hall of the temple seemed to be darker on one side. After receiving her report, heritage professionals came to inspect the ceiling and found water leakage, which was repaired.

"Our work may not seem important, but without prompt detection, other efforts to protect cultural heritage are hampered," Tao says. "The resort and the temples are the legacy of our ancestors. I want to fulfill my duty and look after them properly."