A Time-Traveling Imperial Invitation: The "Spirit Meets Emperor Qianlong" New Media Art Exhibition

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team, compiled and reported

 
A grand artistic celebration spanning five thousand years of history and traversing a hundred thousand miles of the world, where time and space intertwine and reality blurs—let you roam the imperial court with the "Perfect Elder" and versatile Emperor Qianlong, unveiling a series of fantastical and delightful art feasts. Hidden within a massive treasure labyrinth are imperial relics and playful curiosities. Trigger the mechanisms to uncover their mysterious faces. The Jadeite Cabbage, Meat-Shaped Stone, and Golden Cup of Eternal Solidarity are no longer just distant sights—you can collect them in your own treasure cabinet and secretly take home treasures from Emperor Qianlong’s toy box. Through novel and entertaining displays, explore the artistic tastes of Qianlong’s life, experience dazzling sensory interactions, indulge in refined Qing imperial snacks, and witness 3D projections bringing the emperor back to life in a grand song-and-dance spectacle.

Six Major New Media Art Theme Zones

     An Imperial Invitation – [Spirit Meets Emperor Qianlong] revolves around the "Grand Celebration of Longevity," presenting the joyful festive atmosphere of a prosperous era. Through novel and engaging display methods, the exhibition is structured around six major themes: Imaginative Spiritual Journey, Universal Jubilation, Artistic Play, Treasures Reimagined, Song and Dance Splendor, and Imperial Banquet Invitation.
 
 
ü   Highlights of the Exhibition
One. Taipei’s National Palace Museum grants its first official authorization to replicate eight classic cultural relics from Emperor Qianlong’s era.
Presented through multimedia digital simulation, these eight national treasures are:
1. Jadeite Cabbage
2. Meat-Shaped Stone
3. Qianlong-Era Golden Cup of Eternal Solidarity
4. Famille-Rose Enamel Bottle with Fish Swimming in Spring Waters on a Blue Ground
5. Famille-Rose Hundred Deer Vase
6. Agarwood Sculpture of Nine Elders on Fragrant Hill
7. Famille-Rose Floral and Bird Double-Bottle with Openwork Panels
8. Divine Hidden Treasure
 
ü   No need to travel all the way to the National Palace Museum—see multiple Qianlong-era national treasures in one visit.
A. This exhibition selects the most iconic artifacts, such as the Jadeite Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone, to enhance visitors’ sense of achievement.
B. The selected artifacts are primarily related to birthday banquets, festivals, celebrations, and joyous occasions from Emperor Qianlong’s reign during the Qing Dynasty, aligning with the concept of this exhibition.
ü   Combining digital fun—favorite artifacts can be collected and taken away.
A. In the passageways throughout the exhibition, interactive mechanisms or collection boxes (mini magic theaters, micro projectors, micro displays, etc.) are placed, hiding virtual artifacts waiting to be discovered by visitors. The Jadeite Cabbage, Meat-Shaped Stone, and Golden Cup of Eternal Solidarity are no longer just distant sights—you can collect them in your own treasure cabinet and secretly take home treasures from Emperor Qianlong’s toy box.
B. The eight artifacts are presented using different display techniques, including physical models (replicas), projections, lenticular printing, autostereoscopic TVs, floating images, animations, showcase displays, transparent screens, turntables, mirror reflections, and other multimedia methods.

Within the [Spirit Meets Emperor Qianlong] exhibition space, Mapping projection technology, multi-faceted theatrical projection, object-aligned projection, motion sensors (Kinect), and AR (augmented virtual reality) sensing are extensively employed. Through fantastical projection techniques, audiences are taken on an exciting “Qianlong Talks About Qianlong” journey—the emperor comes vividly to life before your eyes.

Through time-travel projection segments and smart devices working in tandem, experience the marvelous feeling of traversing past and present. 3D projections bring to life a grand show where Emperor Qianlong crosses time, featuring not only the Grand Celebration of Longevity, nationwide jubilation, festive decorations, and magnificent palaces, but also grand operatic performances on stages set up inside and outside the capital for the celebration—essential events marked by their splendor and liveliness. Song and dance celebrate the “Ninety-Nine Grand Jubilee,” offering breathtaking and mesmerizing sights that convey the glory of a flourishing empire.

 

Digital technology revives the splendor of treasures from Emperor Qianlong’s golden age. Within a massive treasure maze, imperial relics and playful curiosities lie hidden—trigger the mechanisms to unveil their mysterious faces. With the concept of a “Treasure Maze,” we commissioned “Zhu Mo Image Design” to execute the exhibition layout design, turning the entire venue into a playful space filled with hidden treasures. Broadly speaking, the Forbidden City during Emperor Qianlong’s reign was a palace storing countless valuables, and Qianlong once ordered the creation of a fusion of Chinese and Western Huayuanzhen Maze in the Old Summer Palace. Now, a realistic maze is recreated within the exhibition space for endless fun. Beyond the thrill of seeking and discovering treasures, visitors can combine their access passes to collect items in their personal treasure cabinets, adding more enjoyment to the exhibition experience.