Macau’s famed ruins set for digital reconstruction

The Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macau is using 3D technology to reconstruct the city’s iconic Ruins of St. Paul’s for guided virtual tours for visitors.

The objective of the project is to launch “immersive visits” to the famed remnants of the 16th-century, Portuguese-era Catholic site by using virtual reality glasses and other digital equipment, an official told Portuguese news agency Lusa.

Following the 3D reconstruction, residents and tourists will be able to enjoy guided tours in the Portuguese, English, Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese languages after a period of testing and adjustment.

The bureau said it has been collaborating with the Catholic Diocese of Macau to research and collect historical data for the virtual reality exhibition.

Future virtual reality visits will “show the unique history and culture of the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures in Macau over hundreds of years” and improve the city’s image as a destination for cultural tourism, the bureau said.

During Portuguese colonial rule, Jesuits built a Catholic religious complex at Santo Antonio in Macau. It housed the Church of St. Paul and St. Paul’s College, the first Western college in East Asia, in the second half of the 16th century.

Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/macaus-famed-ruins-set-for-digital-reconstruction/96405#