18th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence 2008

Virtual Exploring to Jing-Hang Grand Canal

Shengnan Chen1,2Liqiang Xu1, Huaqing
Shen1, Gengdai Liu1, Kangde Guo1, Yibin Ye1
1
State Key Lab of CAD&CG
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
2
Zhejiang Textile and Fashion College
Ningbo, China

Zhigeng Pan
State Key Lab of CAD&CG
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
zgpan@cad.zju.edu.cn

Abstract
This paper presents the digital interactive experience
system of the Jing-Hang Grand Canal of China and
introduces some related work. The purpose of this system is
to attract users interests in the history and culture of the
Jing-Hang Grand Canal. We provide users with virtual
exhibition and virtual exploring environment which make it
possible that the disappeared ancient scenes and stories
recur and interact with them. The system is made up of
three parts as the main introduction about the Grand Canal,
the landscape exhibition along the riverside and the virtual
exploring part. The first two parts give a dynamical
demonstration of the general knowledge of the Grand
Canal and the third one provides interactive experience of
the cultures, history, arts and stories along the side of the
Grand Canal. Additionally, in order to make this system
attractive and charming, the technique of digital
storytelling is used, and an animation called water
transportation story is composed to show the magnificent
scene along the Jing-Hang Grand Canal.

1. Introduction
A large quantity of glorious cultural heritages has been
handed down from generation to generation during the long
human history. However some forms of artworks have
disappeared or been destroyed by the rising affections of
the human beings actions and with time elapsing. It has
been a pressing worldwide problem that how to exhibit and
preserve artworks of cultural heritage with novel methods.
The techniques of photographing and shooting have
already been used in the early70s to record the information
of cultural heritage. However these files are difficult to
preserve for a long period because of the reasons such as
the degenerative effects of the films, moreover, the copy of
images will bring distortions. In this background, the
technique of multimedia and virtual reality brings a new
dawn to the preservations of the cultural heritage. It will be

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an important way to preserve artworks of cultural heritage

with the digital processing techniques such as image
indexing and impainting, immersive VR system and so
forth.
In this paper, we first present the actual techniques of
digital exhibition and preservation, which makes the
digitization of cultural heritage possible, then we introduce
our virtual exploring system of Jing-Hang Grand Canal in
order to make a clear presentation about the content,
process and methods of digitizing artworks of cultural
heritage. (Here the Chinese character (Jing) means
Beijing()while the Chinese character (Hang)
means Hangzhou ()the river is from Beijing to
Hangzhou threading through many cities.) Finally the
conclusion and future work are discussed.

2. Digitizing cultural heritage and pivotal

technique
The process of digitizing real objects has been simplified
a lot by the digital tools such as the scanner and the digital
camera. And all these hardware equipments nowadays
make the cultural heritage digitizing come true.
Furthermore, more and more hardware companies are
continuously producing new digital equipments which are
of high precision and capability, it is sure that the digital
manipulation will become much easier in the future.
The method of taking pictures from multi-points of view
by using a movable camera and image impainting, which
was proposed by Wolfgang Niem et al.[1] in 1999, can
already show up the model of the real object again with a
quite good quality. Ulas.Ylamz et al.[2] succeed in
rebuilding the 3D models based on the arithmetic above, by
taking precise pictures from multi-points making use of a
rotational table which circulates around the axes. The
method of rebuilding with expansible pixel proposed by
Steinbach et al.[3] achieved a good effect as well.
As for the current research situation of digital cultural
heritage preservation, there are four main aspects focused
by researchers all over the world. The first one is the

18th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence 2008

digitization, storage and display of cultural relics. The

second aspect involves virtual museums on the Internet.
Kwon[4] presented the key techniques of digital museum
on the internet, and a general scheme of the modeling,
management, storage and transmission of large quantity of
data of digital museum. The third aspect is concerning how
to create the avatar-based multi-user immersive virtual
museum. Usaka[5] presented the prototype system of an
immersive virtual museum. The terminal users can enter the
virtual museum as avatars via Internet to visit all the
exhibits in it and can communicate with other users. The
fourth aspect is the application of large display projection
in the real museums.
The image based rendering (IBR) [6] [7] is a kind of new
technique to render 3D virtual scenes from 2D images. The
image based modeling technology (IBM)[8] creates a 3D
scene with several images. It has shortened the traditional
process a lot which was done in the steps of modeling and
rendering, and it has been applied to many projects.
Hirose[9] introduced many IBR applications to digital
museum. Youichi[10] presented a novel method to tour into
the picture by making animation from a single picture using
spidery mesh.
Many experts dedicated their work in the fourth
International Conference of Virtual Reality System and
Multi-media in 2002 (VSMM02), which had a lot to do
with improving the steps of the worlds heritage
preservations. It has also shown the great potential of the
virtual reality technology, such as the technique of capture
texture by laser scanning which was proposed by J-A
Beraldin et al.[1], the technique of virtual museum
constructing making use of interaction by Magata Shojiro
et al.[1], the technique of virtual Artshop by A.M.
Bonacchi et al.[1], the technique of involving intelligent
person in to the virtual reality system by Meehae Song et
al.[1]
The main points in the design and implementation of the
Jing-Hang Grand Canal virtual exploring system include
the client-server architecture design, the 3D interactive
design and implementation, the scene modeling, the story
telling design[1] and the multi-media design. We use
Youichis method to create animations by moving the
viewpoint in the water transportation animation part to
show the cultural landscape and the magnificent artworks
along the river side. We also use IBR technique for virtual
exhibitions in the demonstrations of the vagile experience
part. Additionally we use the technique of TIP (tour into the
picture)[1],which has already been utilized in preserving
the cultural heritage [1] by State Key Lab of CAD/CD of
Zhejiang University, to implement the tour into the old
pictures and the landscape pictures of the Grand Canal, so
that it can show again the disappeared scene of ancient days
vividly.

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3. Configuration of the digital interactive

experience system
3.1. Outline
As one of the greatest water conservancy projects in
Chinese history, the Jing-Hang Grand Canal is valued a lot
for its popular scientific significance. The main content of
this system is expended with a center of the Jing-Hang
Grand Canal, with a clue of polt, and it vividly shows the
history of the Grand Canal again. Moreover, it introduces a
series of humanities knowledge and general knowledge
which are related to the Jing-Hang Grand Canal. The
education theory of Hands-On, Minds-On[1] and the
theory of Learn from Doing[1] are worked into the
virtual interactive system. The system can help the public,
especially the youth, to improve their knowledge about the
history and general science expediently. Because they can
carry out practically the actions, such as good shipping,
which only existed in the ancient times, and solve problems
by using the scientific theories and methods in the virtual
environment more than learning just from the textbooks, to
get a better understanding.
The system includes three parts as follows: the main
introduction about the Grand Canal, the landscape along
the riverside and the vagile experience. The main purpose
of the first two parts is to introduce some general
knowledge of the Grand Canal by the dynamical
demonstrations and interactions. The third part is mainly
for experience, and it provides the users with interactive
experience of the cultures, history, art and stories along the
Jing-Hang Grand Canal. There are five experience items in
all, which are water transportation, driving a boat, crossing
the lock gate, the interaction of panorama and the
interactive test of the Grand Canal knowledge.

3.2. The water transportation animation

The concrete scenes go as follows: the users immerse
themselves in this part with their view following along with
a wide river (the segment in Hangzhou of the Jing-Hang
Grand Canal). The Jing-Hang Grand Canal was a water
conservancy system and a canal which was utilized in the
food and commodity supplies. This part gives the
introductions of detailed and magnificent scenes along the
Jing-Hang Grand Canal, for example many porters carried
goods onto the boats by the riverside, and then boatmen
ferried the goods along the river, and there are also some
other locomotive objects in the river or by the riverside,
such as carriages, mill wheels, pedestrians and other
workers as shown in Figure 0 and 1. The animation
includes several points as follows:
The first one is the cultural landscape of water
transportation, with the representations of the important

18th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence 2008

water transporting landscapes, such as Randeng Pagoda,

Sanjiao Temple, Bali Bridge, Li Zhuowu Grave and so
forth. The Randeng Pagoda is the symbol of the city of
Tongzhou and of the terminus of 500 kilometer water
transporting journey as well. Bali Bridge is an offspring of

Figure 0: The pedestrians and workers along the Grand Canal

Figure1: The mill wheels and landscape along the Grand Canal

water transporting in the Grand Canal, and it is the traffic

bridge of the building of the ancient capital.
The second one is the magnificent art culture of water
transportation. The Tang artwork from powder and the kite
king Liang Jun for examples, which have been handed
down from generation to generation, are the representations
of the charming art culture of the city of Tongzhou.
The third one is the folk culture, the water transportation
of the Grand Canal brings different folk cultures from
different places. Tongzhou is an ancient city which has
special folk culture, also with folk music, nursery rhymes,
adages, and various kinds of clarions of water
transportation.
The fourth one is the shipside culture of the water
transportation. The shipside of water transportation went
through thousands of years, with the fabulous stories of
different people, such as the famous writer Cao Xueqin and
the well known poet Tang Xianzu and so on.

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3.3. The vagile experience

The experience system is an advanced platform which
fulfilled the theory of Learn from doing, especially for
the youth, this kind of platform will help them to learn the
science and humanities knowledge in the interesting
process of virtual practice. The experience system should
be better not only of one bald style, but also include many
interesting elements besides the traditional science, such as
the humanities knowledge, legends and some applications.
In addition, the exquisite interface, simple and exact
manipulations and the originality of the polt are all
absolutely necessary ingredients in empoldering a virtual
experience system successfully.
This experience part includes five sections as follows:
the water transportation experience, the driving experience,
the lock gate crossing experience, the panorama experience
and the interaction with the knowledge of the Grand Canal.
The technologies related in the content above include
multi-media technique, network technique, computer
graphic technique, human-computer interaction technique,
literae humaniores and art. Most of them provide plenty of
interaction, such as the brake system of the boats gives a 3D
display, and the animation of the water transportation will
help the users not only understand the history and
utilization of the Grand Canal but also increase the
knowledge of geography and engineering.
There are two modes in each virtual exploring part: the
displaying mode and the manipulating one. For example, in
the part of crossing the lock gate of the Grand Canal in the
experience section, it will first demonstrate an animation of
crossing the lock gate with explanations, the users can
manipulate after understanding the whole process, once
there is any mistake, the program will prompt and restart.
The five sections go as follows:
Firstly, the water transportation experience.
The water transportation animation: this part introduces
the process of transporting goods from Hangzhou to
Beijing by the Jing-Hang Grand Canal and the cultures
along the riverside, it shows at the same time the ancient
cities of Suzhou, Huaian (Figure2) , Dezhou and
Tongzhou.
The loading simulation: this part shows the users the
process of loading in the water transportation system and
some general knowledge of flotage. The users can select
the goods which they load on the ship in the program which
we implement by the Flash software. The waterline will
change when the weight of the goods which the users chose
is changed. Overweight will course a sinking and also
cannot make an efficient loading if the goods are not
enough, so they have to calculate the weight and design the
way of loading. Figure 3
Secondly, the driving experience.

18th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence 2008

Figure 2: The Wentong Pagoda in Huaian

Figure 4: The lock gate of the Grand Canal

Figure 3: The loading simulation

The driving theory demonstration: the users can obtain

general knowledge about driving a boat in the water by the
demonstration of the real way of driving in the Jing-Hang
Grand Canal in ancient days.
The driving simulation: the users can drive a boat in the
Grand Canal virtually, it will help users achieve the general
knowledge and the process of driving in the Grand Canal.
The users may drive the boat by the mouse and keyboard of
the personal computer. At the same time, the elements
involved such as the changes of the weather along the
riverside which include rain, snow and wind, make the
simulation much more immersing.
Thirdly, the lock gate crossing experience.
The lock gate crossing demonstration: the lock gate is
one of the most common scenes in the Grand Canal, and
shows a special culture of it (Figure4). The water levels
between lock gates are different and the way of making the
boats cross shows the wisdom of the ancient people. The

users can immerse in this dynamically demonstrating

program which is implemented by the Web3D technology,
Flash software and according to the theory of mechanical
dynamics.
The lock gate crossing simulation: the basic theory of
crossing the lock gate is shown as Figure 5. When the
downriver boat goes through the lock gate to upriver:
Firstly, open slowly the downriver lock gate and make the
water level between upriver lock gate and down one equal;
Secondly, close the downriver lock gate when the boat
enters between the two lock gates; Thirdly, open slowly the
upriver lock gate and make the water level between upriver
lock gate and down one equal; Finally the boat goes upriver
through the lock gate.

Figure 5: The picture of the theory of the lock gate crossing

Fourthly, the panorama experience.

The users can interact and immerse in this part by the
panorama experiencing program as a tourist along the
famous cities we present. It is implemented by the
technology of Flash, VRML and Panorama. Figure 6 shows
Slim Westlake in Yangzhou.
Fifthly, the interaction of the knowledge of Jing-Hang

Figure 6: The panorama of the Slim Westlake in Yangzhou

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18th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence 2008

Grand Canal.
It provides the user interaction test in this part, which
includes the general knowledge of the Jing-Hang Grand
Canal, by drawing out the questions randomly, and the
users may answer these questions by mouse of the personal
computer and the system will give out a score which can
inspire the users learn the knowledge better.

4. Conclusion and Future Work

A good experience system should not only tell simply the
users certain knowledge, but also arouse their curiosity and
interests constantly. This system includes rich knowledge
of shipping such as the flotage and lock gate, which could
stimulate the users curiosity, as well as the knowledge of
the Grand Canal.
For the organization of the data, the system is
implemented following the clue of plots, which makes the
experience an interesting risk and gives the users a sense of
freshness so that they can focus on it more. So far, there is
plenty of data about the Grand Canal, but it is a great pity
that most of such data is quite scattered and there is not a
good platform for them, so that less and less people pay
attention to the Grand Canal. The top priority is to have a
good platform which shows the history, cultures, functions
and the technology of the Grand Canal.
For the technology, the system based on the traditional
B/S based structure modeling technique, and integrates the
images, words, sounds and videos into a coherent whole by
Flash, which avoids just telling knowledge simply to the
users and enables them to enjoy the course while learning.
Meanwhile, the system provides the users with the vagile
experience in the browser by the Java3D technique, which
was seldom attempted before. Because it does not only
need high scene modeling, but also have to solve the
network transmission problems, 3D interaction and so forth.
The panorama technique of this system overcomes the
common shortcomings of the images, such as the limitation
and distortion of the field of view. It is a specific
application of virtual reality which enables the users to
appreciate the landscape along the Grand Canal vividly.
For the interaction methods, we provide the users plenty
of ways to interact. Users can look through and manipulate
as well by the virtual exploring system. They can
appreciate the landscape along the Grand Canal, drive and
ship in the canal, load cargos by themselves and enjoy
many kinds of natural environments including social
customs. Because the Grand Canal is an immense project
winding its way for thousands of kilometers, it will be quite
difficult to take pleasure in the charms of it in person. What
is more, as a great water conservancy project in history,
much information of the Grand Canal, such as its ancient
scenes which has disappeared, has to be shown by the way
of multimedia. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a
virtual exploring environment of the Grand Canal to give

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the users an easy learning experience and a better

understanding than only reading from the textbooks.
For the development of the system, a mechanism of
renovation and the sustainable development have to be
considered in the process of digitizing the cultural heritage.
Software project development is a cycling course which
emphasizes users feedback and the systems ameliorations.
The development of the system shows in two respects. One
is the enlargement and improvement of contents, the other
is the increase of interaction.
To realize the renovation in the future, we should take
the two aspects following in mind: firstly, preserve data
well, which include all of the words, images, animations,
videos and so on, and all the codes should be given notes
well in favor of subsequent development as well. Secondly,
keep the interfaces, it can complete the renovation of the
system with modifying simply some of its materials or
codes but not the whole system.
To get a larger access to the application, we put it on line
to make it easier for the user to connect and learn with the
application, and we are planning to have hyperlink inside
the application, add web-content links and collaborative
work, so that different users can be in a single environment
and share information, chat, interact with the same object,
be on the same boat on the canal and learn together at the
same time but using different personal computers linked by
the internet or a local network.

Acknowledgement
This research is supported by China Digital Museum.
(grant no. 2005DKA64300-05-27).Thanks to all of the
other members in the program group: Shaoxiong Zhou
Wei Ge, Ziyun Tang of Hangzhou Teaching college, Zhi Li
and Yuhu Ma of Hangzhou Ruizhi Art and Design
Company,Yiming Wang and Xinchu Zhang of Art college
of Zhejiang University

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