Digitaltechnology-assistedconservationofancientcitywallinXi"an,northwestChina"sShaanxiprovince,wasrecentlylistedamongthetop-10casesofdigitalinnovationintheChinesecultureandtourismindustryof2022.

(资料图片)

Assistedbydigitaltechnologies,theancientcitywallintheChinesecityisshowingitsattractivenessinmorediverseaspects.

PhotoshowstheXi"ancitywall.(PhotocourtesyoftheXi"ancitywallmanagementcommittee)

Theancientrampartstracebacktomorethan1,400yearsago.Asthecitydevelops,theyarenowsurroundedbybusycommercialdistricts,andtherearemetrolinesthatcrossthemunderground.

Theconservationofthecitywallisaboutnotonlythewallitselfbutalsoitswoodenannexesandthecitymoat.Today,thedigitaltechnologiesthatareemployedtoprotectthecitywallarelikesentriesthatneverfeelfatigue.

OnthepathovertheYongningGate,thesouthgateoftheancientcitywall,therearethreesmallcylinderseveryfewdozensofmeters.

"Theyareverticalin-placeinclinometers,whichareabletopreciselymonitorthehorizontaldisplacementoftheinnerwallofthebarbicanatthegate,"saidXieZhiyuan,whoworksforthemanagementcommitteeoftheXi"ancitywall.

AccordingtoXie,devicesareinstalledinallsectionsofthecitywallthatstretches13.74kilometerstomonitorthesafetyofthewallandannexes.

"Wehavedesignated31underwatermonitoringsitesalongthemoatandsetupvibrationmonitoringpointsatthegatesthatmetrolinescross.Thesedigitaldevicesoffermassivedataandlayasolidfoundationfortargetedconservationofthecitywall,"saidGaoHeng,headoftheculturalrelicspreservationandtourismdepartmentoftheXi"ancitywallmanagementcommittee.

AttheinformationcenteroftheXi"ancitywallmanagementcommittee,there"sabigscreenthatshowsreal-timepassengervolume,temperatureandotherstatistics.Thecenterhasabigdatamanagementplatformthatisconnectedtoover1,000setsofsecurityequipment.(PhotocourtesyoftheinformationcenteroftheXi"ancitywallmanagementcommittee)

Basedonthedatacollectedbythedevices,themanagementcommitteebuiltawarningsystemthatsetsfourwarningthresholdsforthesettlementandcrackingofthecitywall,GaotoldPeople"sDaily,addingthatresponsemeasureswillbetakenaccordingtodifferentlevelsofwarning.

Fromadoptingsimplisticandpalliativeapproachestotakingpreventativemeasures,Xi"an"scitywallconservationhasgonethroughfundamentaltransformationwiththeassistanceofdigitalandinformationtechnologies,Gaosaid.

"We"llfurtherexploit3D-scanningandautomaticmonitoringtechnologiestoextendthelifeofthecitywall,"Gaonoted.

"It"ssohigh,"shoutedtouristZhaoYan,wearingavirtualreality(VR)headsetandcloselyholdingthehandsofherfriend.Adronehadalreadyflownfaroutsidetheglassceilingsaboveherheadandbegunfilmingthemagnificentviewofthecitywallfromabove.

Apartfrombikes,electricbikes,androwingboats,VRdroneshaveexpandedtheoptionsforsightseeingalongthecitywall.

Accordingtoanemployeeofthecitywallscenicarea,thedronesareremotelycontrolledbyacloudplatformandverypopularamongtourists.

PhotoshowsdigitalcollectiblesissuedbytheXi"ancitywallscenicarea.(PhotocourtesyoftheXi"ancitywallmanagementcommittee)

AttheinformationcenteroftheXi"ancitywallmanagementcommittee,there"sabigscreenthatshowsreal-timepassengervolume,temperature,andotherstatistics.Thecenterhasabigdatamanagementplatformthatisconnectedtoover1,000setsofsecurityequipment,whichareabletomonitorculturalrelicspreservation,recordpassengerflow,andperformothermonitoringtasks.

"It"snecessarytoupgradeculturalandtourismresourceswithdigitalmeans.Intelligenttransformationofscenicspotsbringsnewerexperiencestotouristsandmakesmanagementmoreefficient,"saidSuNing,generalmanagerofXi"anQujiangCityWallTourismDevelopmentCompanyLtd.

Today,thedevelopmentofonlinemuseumsiscreatingopportunitiesfortouristswhocannotmakein-personvisits.

ArelicsmuseumneartheHanguangGateoftheXi"ancitywallhasmadeadigitalreplicaofitselfinaminiprogrambasedon3Ddatacapture.ItalsodevelopedaH5gamethathasarousedtheinterestofmanychildreninthecitywall.

"Noveldigitalculturalproductscanbetterenhancethepublic"ssenseofidentityforandprideintraditionalculture.We"llkeepworkingtofindwhattouristslikebasedondigitalinformationandbetterpromoteanddisplayculturalrelicswithdigitaltechnologies,"Gaosaid.