In September 2020, Beijing's Haidian Three Mountains and Five Gardens were selected as the first batch of national demonstration areas for the protection and utilization of cultural relics. With comprehensive enhancements in cultural relic protection, the overall reshaping of the landscape, continuous optimization of governance functions, and a significant increase in the cultural satisfaction and happiness of the people, Haidian District has successfully completed 46 key tasks for the creation of the demonstration area. Today, the Three Mountains and Five Gardens have taken on a new image and appearance as a national exemplar of historical and cultural inheritance, becoming an important window for showcasing cultural confidence and promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning.
The term "Three Mountains and Five Gardens" refers to various historical and cultural heritage sites in the northwest suburbs of Beijing, represented by royal gardens from the Qing Dynasty. The "Five Gardens" include the Summer Palace on Wanshou Mountain, Jingming Garden on Yuquan Mountain, Jingyi Garden on Xiangshan Mountain, Old Summer Palace, and Changchun Garden. This area is a key focus for the protection of historical and cultural heritage in Beijing, parallel to the old city. Haidian, the district where these gardens are located, is not only a core area of the Beijing International Science and Technology Innovation Center but also a source of scientific and technological innovation and independent innovation.
As a result, the protection and utilization of cultural relics in the Three Mountains and Five Gardens area naturally integrate technological forces, providing strong technological support for the protection of cultural relics, the continuation of cultural heritage, and the prosperity of culture. For example, to establish a more intelligent cultural relic management system, Haidian District relies on the "City Brain" data analysis and intelligent facilities to build the "Cultural Relics Brain"—an intelligent protection system for immovable cultural relics. Intelligent sensing terminals have been added around some high-value, weakly based, and high-risk cultural relics in the Three Mountains and Five Gardens area, achieving intelligent patrolling of cultural relics. In September of this year, the "Cultural Relics Brain" was officially put into use, providing various functions such as situational analysis, daily patrols, intelligent analysis, comprehensive decision-making, simulation deduction, and business collaboration. It has become a nationally demonstrative "Culture + Technology" innovation project with high recognition in Haidian, contributing significantly to the technological empowerment of cultural relic protection.
Currently, Haidian District has completed the digital information collection of the Old Summer Palace Western Tower Area, the peaceful and tranquil archaeological excavation site of Old Summer Palace, and some museum collections. It has established a digital relic database and pattern library, created the Changchun Garden digital restoration display system and the Old Summer Palace digital restoration display system, conducted three-dimensional information collection, storage, and display work for relics collected by the Dahuisi Temple and Haidian Museum, and built the official website and unified information resource database for the Three Mountains and Five Gardens, integrating content resources and promoting standardized and centralized data collection. It has established a comprehensive digital display platform.
"Beijing residents and tourists can also experience the 'Old Summer Palace·720 Time-travel Spaceship' at the Summer Palace. This project, a joint creation of Haidian Culture and Tourism Group and First Sight Experience Technology Company, was launched in August with a 720-degree capsule screen, virtual reality images, and dynamic flight effects, presenting the grandeur of Old Summer Palace in a narrative manner. Visitors can step into the past 'Garden of Gardens,' enjoy the scenic beauty of the garden, experience historical stories, and feel traditional culture," said Qiu Wenzhong, Secretary of the Party Group and Director of the Old Summer Palace Management Office. It is worth mentioning that the Old Summer Palace digital experience project was selected as a popular destination for online celebrities (new consumption scene category) in December 2022 and won the China Culture and Tourism Pioneer Award in March 2023. Technological innovation has given wings to the spread of cultural relics, attracting more young people to approach cultural heritage.
In order to deeply explore and showcase regional resources, Haidian District has specifically produced and released a series of high-quality digital products, such as the Three Mountains and Five Gardens Digital Culture Micro-courses, Ethnic Music "Art Rises" series, and "Treasures of Zhen 'Dian'" series. It has created distinctive digital cultural brands. In addition, the more content-rich "Three Mountains and Five Gardens Digital Exhibition" will also be unveiled at the under-construction Three Mountains and Five Gardens Art Center. This art center is located at the northwest corner of Haidian Park, on the site of the former Changchun Garden West Garden. The main structure has been completed, and it entered the exhibition implementation stage in October of this year. It is planned to open to the public in the first half of 2024, providing immersive exhibition experiences for citizens."
Translator: BAI Jing
Reviewer: LIU Jin
