A Theater in A Cave? China's Latest Interactive Show
Cave Becomes Theater for ‘Hutian Fantasyland’ in China
Visitors seated on a custom-built 360-degree rotating platform can enjoy a multimedia show named “Hutian Fantasyland” inside the Taiji Cave in China’s Anhui province. “Hutian” is a Chinese word that is usually interpreted as a “dwelling for celestial beings.”
“The cave environment is complicated, and making measurements was extremely difficult,” says Xu Zhenfeng, general manager of Shanghai Hehao Technology, which implemented the project in collaboration with Summit Splendid Studio. “In order to provide designers and engineers with accurate design inputs, we deployed high-precision 3D holographic scanning equipment to digitally map and reconstruct the site.”
Choosing equipment that operates well inside the cave’s humid environment was another key criterion, Xu notes. The show runs on more than a dozen Christie DWU1075-GS 1DLP laser projectors, plus Christie’s real-time edit and playback controls.
Christie technology recently powered several other Chinese projects, including “The Great Lanzhou” nighttime extravaganza along the Yellow River in Gansu province; a large-scale outdoor light show on Nianhua Bay in Wuxi, Jiangsu province; and pathway projections on Sichuan province’s Guangwu Mountain.
hehaotech.com, christiedigital.com
‘Tata Show’ Wows VinWonders Parkgoers in Vietnam
With 150 multinational actors, 14 advanced 3D-mapping projectors, and 200 tons of props and equipment, the Vingroup launched a multimedia spectacular, which it describes as a “Made in Vietnam masterpiece,” at VinWonders Nha Trang amusement park.
Directed by one of Vietnam’s best-known screenwriters, Việt Tú, the “Tata Show” cost US$10 million to produce and tells the story of a princess confronting dark forces.
“This show is the first of its kind in Vietnam and is on par with internationally well-known productions,” says Việt Tú, who adds that Vingroup plans to introduce shows of a similar scale at its parks in Nam Hoi An and Phu Quoc.
While the “Tata Show” initially debuted at the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 shutdown provided VinWonders with an opportunity to revamp the production, so that when it reopened in the summer, there were fire-shooting dragons, a Gothic gazebo, new sound effects, and more advanced staging technologies.
