When Light Rail meets ox carts: AI revives ancient Chinese scroll with Hong Kong twist

The Song dynasty masterpiece Along the River During the Qingming Festival has gone viral online after social media users used artificial intelligence to recreate the classical painting in modern, city-based settings.

Among the most widely shared versions is a Tuen Mun-inspired reinterpretation, which blends the district’s urban landscape with the traditional composition of the original scroll. In an AI-generated version titled “Along the Tuen Mun River During the Qingming Festival,” the Light Rail system appears alongside bicycles, pedestrian paths and high-rise buildings, while figures in ancient Chinese clothing move through the scene. In a humorous twist, the creator also added a “Light Rail ox cart,” merging modern transport with historical imagery.

Another version reimagines Victoria Harbor as a classical riverside scene. Landmarks such as the International Finance Centre, Bank of China Tower, the Convention and Exhibition Centre extension and the Golden Bauhinia Square are retained, while an additional arched bridge is inserted across the harbor, echoing the structure of the original painting.

The trend reflects a growing wave of AI-generated cultural mashups online, in which traditional artworks are reinterpreted through contemporary urban environments.

The original painting, created by Northern Song dynasty artist Zhang Zeduan, depicts the bustling life of the capital Bianjing during the Qingming Festival and is regarded as one of China’s most important classical works.

A version of the painting was previously exhibited in Hong Kong in 2007 as part of the “National Treasures” exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓