From 2008 to 2022: Olympic-themed Exhibition to Open in Beijing

Visitors look at a model of the curling rink for the 2022 Winter Olympics at a media preview in Beijing on Aug 3, 2018. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The world's eyes were on Beijing on Aug 8, 2008, as the Olympic Games opened grandly at Bird's Nest - the national stadium for the Games, on that day. On its 10th anniversary this year, the Bird's Nest Culture Center will open an Olympic-themed exhibition free to the public. Featuring photos, documents, videos and interactive installations, exhibition From 2008 to 2022, Olympic Spirit in Motion will showcase Beijing's achievements in inheriting the Olympic spirit and promoting the Olympic culture, the after-Games use of the stadiums, as well as the preparation work for a green and sustainable winter Games in 2022. Technology is bringing new vitality to exhibitions nowadays. One big selling point of the show is the interactive apparatuses using VR and sensing technologies, which invite visitors to play and test their sporting skills.

Stadium, Past and Future, the first of the exhibit's four sections, focuses on the importance of after-competition use of the stadiums. Inheriting the Beijing Olympic Legacy narrates Beijing's achievements in inheriting the Olympic heritage over the past decade. The 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games presents preparation works of the 2022 Games as infrastructure constructions and reconstructions are underway. Exhibition of the Olympic Culture traces the history and development of winter sports in China. It's also in this section that Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) painting bingxi becomes dynamic and interactive, thanks to digital media and motion sensing technologies.

An interactive device features Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) painting bingxi. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Bingxi was a winter activity regularly performed for imperial audiences, especially during the Qianlong emperor's reign in the 18th century. In the exhibition's interaction zone, the ancient painting is brought alive, literally. Human figures and sceneries depicted in the painting will go motional as soon as visitors approach. Standing in front of it, people can not only have a close look at the process of the ancient bingxi games, but can also command players in the artwork, such as capping on the number of participants, and selecting the costumes they wear and flags they wave.

The device took three months to finish, according to its maker, Crystal CG, a subsidiary of Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co (BSAM), which specializes in computing and graphing. BSAM is also one of the major constructors and operators for venues for the Beijing Olympics, such as the National Aquatics Center and the "Ice Ribbon" - the speed skating venue for the 2022 Games.

Movie lovers will also be treated to a feast of sports-themed films at the exhibition.

Since the 2008 Games, the Bird's Nest has become a popular tourist destination as well as a cultural venue for exhibitions, sports and other leisure activities. The Beijing organizing committee of the 2022 Games has emphasized a green and sustainable winter Olympics. Guidelines for planning and building the venues insist on green designs and constructions for easy use after the Games and long-term contribution to the city's development.

Visitors look at a model of the speed skating venue for the 2022 Games at a media preview in Beijing on Aug 3, 2018. [Photo/scio.gov.cn]

Visitors experience curling through an interactive device. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Visitors look at photos that review the heritage of the Olympics. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]