One moment you're walking alone in a wintery landscape, footprints etching the snow. A moment later, the frost melts into a tranquil stream flanked by daffodils, trembling gently to your touch, while glowing fireflies dance in the air.
This is not a dream, but an interactive art installation inspired by various motifs from 40 ancient Chinese paintings, which offers an immersive experience for visitors to enjoy the beauty of traditional art through digital innovation.
The installation was showcased at the Light of Internet Expo , an exhibition held on the sidelines of the three-day World Internet Conference ( WIC ) Wuzhen Summit 2025, which ended on Sunday (November 9) in the ancient water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang Province, China.
This installation is a digital project of the " A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings" program organized by Zhejiang University and the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration.
To date, the program has collected and published more than 12,000 Chinese paintings from more than 260 cultural institutions worldwide.
"It was a refreshing experience to see elements from famous ancient paintings unfold before me and be able to interact with them," said a visitor surnamed Ji, who activated a virtual sky lantern on an interactive wall with just a touch.
According to Sun Xiaojun, deputy head of the program's editorial board, the installation integrates holographic projection, spatial audio processing, and real-time multisensory interaction technology to bring classical art to life in an interactive format.
Sun said the program aims to ensure that ancient Chinese paintings are not only archived as relics but also empowered through digital technology to spark public interest and reach a wider audience. Since 2022, the program has been exhibiting its digital works at home and abroad.
The role of digital technology in revolutionizing the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage was a major highlight at this year's WIC Wuzhen Summit. Discussions highlighted how artificial intelligence ( AI ), virtual reality ( VR ), and other digital tools are breathing new life into ancient treasures.