STEP BACK IN TIME TO LEI YUE MUN VIA ENHANCED AR TOURISM PROJECT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Bernama) -- The Tourism Commission has launched additional spots for the City in Time tourism project in six designated locations in Lei Yue Mun, Hong Kong.

“The Project covers designated locations in Central, the Peak, Tsim Sha Tsui, Sham Shui Po, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan and Lei Yue Mun. It will be extended to Tai Hang and Kowloon City later on, tying in with the new trend of city walk and in-depth travel, as well as enriching tourists’ travelling experience,” said its Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung.

According to a statement, commissioned by the Tourism Commission, the City in Time Project is developed and produced by the School of Creative Media of City University of Hong Kong.

Both locals and tourists are able to step into the historical panoramas pieced together from heritage photos or illustrations by local artists based on historical information, by simply using their smartphones with the City in Time mobile app downloaded and scanning the augmented reality (AR) markers installed at designated locations.

This immersive journey allows them to witness Hong Kong’s extraordinary geographical and environmental transformation over time, juxtaposing past and present and fully immersing in the old and the new.

The historical panoramas were modelled in 3D, deploying AR and multimedia technologies to optical track and spatially align them with the actual environment.

Coupled with engaging animations and special sound effects, it offers locals and tourists a comprehensive and immersive travelling experience.

First launched in 2021 at 28 designated locations where it received widespread acclaim, City in Time has been expanded to Lei Yue Mun with upgraded features including adding filters and video recording to the selfie function, and advancing the animation of the historical panoramas to 3D.

City in Time has also incorporated film elements at its existing designated locations, encouraging locals and tourists to make pilgrimages to the city filming locations and watch classic Hong Kong film clips on-site, allowing them to experience the fleeting moments of light and shadow.

-- BERNAMA