Drama-inspired VR theaters create immersive tourism experience

As iQIYI's Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2: To the West has been taking Chinese social media by storm, a new VR (virtual reality) theater inspired by the hit mystery thriller recently opened at the Shijingshan Amusement Park in Beijing, allowing the audience to solve a criminal case with its protagonists, taking them on an immersive journey to Chang'an, capital of the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Upon entering the theater - modeled after a Tang-era building - visitors are whisked away into a "tavern troubled by a mysterious perpetrator who has killed and hurt multiple locals and passengers". Clad in authentic Tang Dynasty garments, NPCs (non-player characters), including the hostess, bring

theatergoers up to speed on the crimes, beckoning them to track down the criminal with detective Lu Lingfeng, the drama's lead, in the virtual world.

Soon, visitors, after donning the VR headgear, are immediately transported to a water town in Chang'an where numerous lights dazzle on the streets bustling with activity. In this virtual experience that lasts about 20 minutes, visitors follow Su to pursue the culprit and are treated to adrenaline-pumping rides on a boat and a hot air balloon, immersing them in the beauty of traditional Chinese arts and architecture.

"Thanks to the VR technology, every detail of the palace — flying eaves, bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters — comes to life in stunning realism, enabling us to embrace history and bask in the splendor of the Tang Dynasty," reads a review on Dianping, the Chinese version of Yelp.

Rave reviews and the show's tremendous popularity have propelled the theater to the 7th spot on Beijing's popular VR sales chart in less than two weeks after its opening.

In addition to the Beijing venture, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2: To the West has inspired two other VR immersive theaters, one in Xi'an, Shaanxi province and the other in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

According to iQIYI, VR immersive theaters based on hit iQIYI-made dramas are one of the company's endeavors to expand location-based entertainment through its unique "IP+Technology" strategy, unleash the long-tail value of its blockbuster original dramas, and spark interest in cultural tourism.

Fully developed by iQIYI DREAMVERSE Studio, the company's successful VR projects also include two immersive theaters based on Luoyang, a 2021 sensational historical mystery series, in Shanghai and Luoyang, Henan province.

The company announced in May that it would launch an immersive theater themed on its 2022 hit original series Love Between Fairy and Devil, at the Galaxy Promenade in Galaxy Macau this summer.