Do you fancy watching a traditional Chinese soccer match staged 2,500 years ago, or taking qigong lessons from a grand-old master, or learning how to do the 1,800-year-old Five-Animal Exercise?
These are experiences to be had at a new virtual museum scheduled to open in 2007. The announcement was made Tuesday to mark International Museum Day today.
The "museum," however, isn't really a museum at all; it's actually a website designed by more than 100 Chinese computer scientists, historians and sports experts. It's therefore free to "enter."
"The database has already been set up. I hope it will be put into operation by the end of this year so we have enough time to improve on it based on visitor feedback," said Shen Xukun, one of the experts involved in the museum's development.
Shen, a professor with the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Beihang University, said that the digital museum is a "place" where people can learn more about the various Chinese traditional sports through three-dimensional animation.
For instance, people can watch a game where two teams consisting of 12-16 players compete to kick a ju (a type of leather ball filled with feathers) into crescent-shaped goal posts at either end of the field.
This game emerged during the Warring States Period (BC 475-221) and is called cuju in Chinese. It has been reported that the game is believed to be the predecessor of soccer.
The museum also has a program that teaches ancient Chinese physical exercises, said Shen.
"Take the Five-Animal Exercise for example. You can follow the movements of an animated qigong master, posture for posture."
"The qigong master is programmed to stop at certain points. An on-screen digital camera captures the learner's posture and only when the posture meets the requirements will the master continue," said Shen.
The Five-Animal Exercise, based on the movements of the tiger, deer, bear, ape and bird, was created by Hua Tuo (141-203), the most famous Chinese doctor in ancient China.
The virtual museum will also have video presentations of previous Olympiads, and all kinds of Olympics-related information, said Shen.
In related news, a package of events to mark International Museum Day was also unveiled yesterday by the Shanghai municipal government.
These include free tours for the public to over 40 historical buildings, art lectures, and a forum for museum experts.
The package, themed "Museums Bridging Culture," was designed by the Advisory Committee of the International Council of Museums.
The events will run for one week.
Chen Xiejun, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Administrative Bureau (CRAB), revealed the main highlight of the package is free tours for the public this weekend.
He added: "Shanghai is a city with great historical value. We have 92 museums and 4,199 historical buildings and cultural relics sites. Many have not previously been open to the public as we wanted to protect the buildings and respect the rights of the owners."
However, these considerations were soon overridden by the need to increase public awareness of the city's architecture and culture.
Tan Yufeng, division chief of the Historical Building Department in CRAB, said this is the second time that the bureau is providing free entry to some of the famous old buildings and sites.
Last year, 23 were opened to the public at no cost, and the buildings and sites welcomed some 46,000 visitors.
The free tours have won enthusiastic feedback from visitors and there was no damage, he added.
"This gave us the confidence to open more buildings and sites to the public," Tan said.
This year, the 40 sites chosen for the project vary much more in style than those selected last year. Many of them are former homes of celebrities and dignitaries.
As well as the tours, a series of lectures will provide information on history, music, painting and drama.
Chen said, "Some of these lectures are interactive, which will encourage children to participate in making pottery and casting bronze mirrors, for example."
(China Daily May 18, 2005)
