Old Summer Palace digitalized in Beijing's industrial remains

The Old Summer Palace, or "Yuanmingyuan" in Chinese, has been digitally recreated in a reclaimed century-old steel plant in western Beijing.

After more than 20 years of historical research on the Old Summer Palace, professor Guo Daiheng's team from the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University held an exhibition via advanced internet and visual technology, including 5G, AR and AI, in the Shougang Industrial Park last weekend.

The exhibition shows how the Old Summer Palace, construction of which began in 1707 in Beijing, flourished before it was burned down and its sculptures looted by the Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War.

At present, 65 percent of the park has been digitally restored, said Yang Si, a team member and executive curator of the exhibition. "With the deepening of our research, the proportion will increase further."

Founded in 1919, Chinese steelmaker Shougang Group has transformed its past production premises in Beijing's Shijingshan District into a new landmark of the capital, featuring winter sports events, fairs and exhibits, after it moved its production to the coastal industrial zone of Caofeidian in neighboring Hebei Province.