CHONGQING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- In a quaint building at the institute of cultural relics and archaeology of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, an immersive and interactive play set in the 1940s, is staged every night.
The audience can choose to play a dramatic role, influencing the development of the plot.
As an immovable cultural relic, the site has become a smash hit across the city, attracting hundreds of people every week. "We used to sit in the audience and watch the play, but now, for the first time, we were able to drive the story as a participant and connect the building with the play through our actions and the storyline," said an audience named Ju Qiang.
According to Qin Sisi, a project director with Chongqing Changjia Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd., the performance reflects a new approach to immovable cultural relics. "The building is not regarded simply as an exhibition hall or an item on display," said Qin. "Rather, we have combined its historical and cultural stories to create an immersive drama, and generated a new form of business by extending its cultural connotations."
China has made notable progress in the protection of cultural relics over the past 10 years, and has promoted the creative transformation and development of China's fine traditional culture.
By the end of 2021, there were 108 million pieces (sets) of state-owned movable cultural relics, and about 767,000 immovable ones. The total number of world heritage sites in China has reached 56, ranking second in the world, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Official data show that Chongqing has about 26,000 immovable cultural relics and over 1.48 million movable ones. The establishment of the archaeology-themed cafe and the immersive play project reflect Chongqing's efforts at promoting the charm of history and culture.
Bai Jiujiang, director of Chongqing's institute of cultural relics and archaeology, is optimistic about the future. Through the combination of archaeology with technology and tourism, China's fine traditional culture will generate more vitality, and cultural relics will appeal to wider audiences, said Bai.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
