Tech brings art to life

Blending digital technology with humanistic knowledge, an innovative e-learning platform featuring 3D models of ancient Chinese paintings breathes new life into history and art education.

Developed by a team composed of multiple subjects from Hong Kong Baptist University, the e-learning platform offers an interactive learning experience for primary and secondary school students. 

"The project aligns with the newly revised Chinese History curriculum, which moves the multi-education of history beyond traditional political narratives, according to Sammy Li Kin-sum, associate professor of the Department of History and the team leader.

The 3D models aim to help students to better understand the knowledge of the dynamic multi-perspectives used by ancient Chinese painters and the one-point perspective employed in Western classical paintings.

During the studying section, students can navigate 360 degrees around the models, comparing them with the original artworks to identify the artists’ correct angles of viewpoints.

 “I loved playing video games when I was young,” Li shared. “So I wanted to integrate Chinese history and art history into a game-like format, allowing children to learn through play.”

The team spent more than a year constructing the 3D models. By searching historical data, they determine the scale of objects within the paintings, while combining the imagination to supply the elements where the 2D drawings are not fully captured.

The 3D models were reconstructed from five selected mural paintings. Besides exploring ancient Chinese artistic techniques, the platform allows students to engage with topics relevant to the Chinese History Curriculum. 

For instance, “Qianlong’s Military Campaign into the Western Regions: A Victory Banquet” depicts the pacification of the Western Regions, offering insights into the consolidation and development of the Qing Dynasty’s multi-ethnic state. 

Furthermore, its painter, Giuseppe Castiglione, with a Jesuit background, is related to the knowledge of Jesuit missionaries during the Ming and Qing periods. The work also exemplifies the fusion of European one-point perspective with Chinese artistic themes.

In contrast, “One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains,” a masterpiece of Chinese blue-green landscape painting, demonstrates the use of different perspectives and visual trajectories to depict the continuous mountains and rivers of “a thousand miles”, as well as the historical use of blue-green pigments in Chinese art.

Receiving about HK$4.6 million from the Quality Education Fund, the e-learning platform has already been adopted by over 30 primary and secondary schools. The team has also personally conducted demonstration lessons in more than 20 of these institutions.

“Students have responded positively to the platform’s educational approach,” noted Sit Shui-yan, director of the project. She added that achieving a sense of accomplishment when correctly identifying the artists’ perspectives becomes the motivator for learners.

"Now we have taught over 500 students in total, and we expect the number to reach 1,000 in the next year." Li said. 

Looking ahead, the team is exploring opportunities to introduce the platform to secondary schools in Bangladesh, aiming to expand the educational method overseas. “As art represents a universal language, we believe that combining digital technology with learning will generate significant synergistic effects in both regions,” he said.

Helen Zhong