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GUANGZHOU, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) — To commemorate the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death, a virtual reality (VR) experience exhibition titled “Legendary Journey: Marco Polo and the World of the Silk Road,” has opened at Guangzhou Library in south China.
With the help of VR viewing equipment, the audience can “follow” Marco Polo on the Silk Road in the virtual world, and experience his journey from ancient Venice to China.
As one of the main events held in China to commemorate the Italian explorer, this exhibition is jointly organized by the Consulate General of Italy in Guangzhou and Guangzhou Library, in Guangdong Province.
The VR film presented at the exhibition is part of a 3D film project created by an Italian company, which has digitally restored the Venice Canal, Lut Desert, Pamir Mountains, Taklimakan Desert and the relic site of Xanadu of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The audience can experience this epic expedition from Marco Polo’s first-person perspective.
With emphasis on respecting historical facts, the exhibition seeks to restore historical scenes as accurately as possible. The audience can see the bridge of the Venetian port and the busy dock workers there, get a sense of the prosperity of the Yuan Dynasty, and experience the cultural and commercial exchanges between East and West along the Silk Road.
The exhibition also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership.
“This year is a crucial one for Italy-China relations. This new common interest binds our two countries together and deserves to be celebrated through a figure as remarkable as Marco Polo,” said Valerio De Parolis, consul general of Italy in Guangzhou.
“Marco Polo brought Chinese culture back to Europe, giving Europe a deeper understanding and knowledge of Chinese culture,” De Parolis added, expressing hope that the exhibition will not only be a memorial to Marco Polo’s enduring contribution to global exploration and cross-cultural understanding, but also serve as an inspiration for future generations to continue to explore the world around them and build bridges of understanding and friendship around the globe.
Notably, the exhibition site features a special interactive exhibition, displaying silk, tea, porcelain and other oriental specialties, while inviting the audience to complete a “purchase order” with Marco Polo.
While watching the exhibition, visitors can also read various versions of “The Travels of Marco Polo” in Chinese, Italian, English and other languages, and share their travel advice on social platforms to “promote” Chinese cities or special products to Marco Polo.
The exhibition will last until Dec. 31. ■
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