Digital caves are a revelation for tourists - and offer respite for ancient historical sites. Jane O'Brien explores how 3D recreations can be even better than the real thing.
The digital reconstruction of the south cave with the missing fragments shown in yellow and reproduced in their original location
Atmospheric music greets visitors to Cave 220 - part of the Mogau Grottoes of Dunhuang, an oasis on the ancient Silk Road in China's Gobi Dessert.
A flickering torch offers a tantalising glimpse of the exquisite murals painted by Buddhist monks some 1,400 years ago. And then suddenly, the cavern is ablaze with light, its beauty fully revealed in dazzling colour and extraordinary detail.
But this is not a real cave - it's a virtual environment created by scientists in Hong Kong using technology that has only been available for a few years.
The result is so realistic that it might become the only way to 'see' endangered historic sites and monuments in the future.
"You wouldn't be able to see any of this in the real cave because light exposure is so damaging," says Jeffrey Shaw, director of Alive, the Applied Laboratory for Interactive Visualization and Embodiment at the City University of Hong Kong.
His team created the virtual cave by mapping the original structure using laser scans and ultra-high resolution photography. Many experts say the result is more visually appealing and accessible than the real thing.
"When you show this to an academic they go into a swoon, because as a tool for actually looking at the painting, it's extraordinarily powerful," says Shaw.
The technology enabled the Alive team to augment reality, enhancing colour and magnifying detail. They are also experimenting with animation: the scarves of Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings) riding elephants flutter in a virtual breeze while dancers spring from the wall and perform movements choreographed by the Beijing Dance Academy.
Musical instruments are magnified and rotate in three-dimensional form while the sound they probably made plays from hidden speakers.
"This project has been driven by the challenges of preservation and conservation," says Shaw.
"The caves are an extraordinary heritage site and under enormous environmental threat, and there is also increasing stress from the number of tourists who now want to visit."
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