Chapter 88 @ Qinghe Ancient Town, extra scene! Extra scene...
Yang Qingning chuckled twice, "You mean that VR experience...?"
She calmed down a bit and thought about it carefully: "It just felt very real, but thinking about it more, it was actually quite scary. Except for not being able to touch any physical objects, it felt like I was in a real world."
Tian Fan nodded: "Actually, there's something I've always been curious about..."
Everyone looked over.
Tian Fan organized his thoughts: "Exactly, if I had such technology and wanted to create a commercial VR experience, the content I would choose would definitely not be these. Instead, it would be something more entertaining and exciting."
Yang Qingning immediately understood what he was thinking and nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, for example, we could make a slightly thrilling escape game, or a racing or superhero game like those in movies, or even create a fantasy world and collaborate with current game companies. It would definitely be even more popular than it is now!"
To be fair, the six segments in the current VR experience are only so-so in terms of storyline and perspective, lacking any real entertainment value. They rely solely on the "too realistic" or grand or exquisite scenes to attract tourists.
Moreover, why choose the perspectives of historical figures like Li Bing and Huang Daopo, who are famous but not widely known?
This is absolutely not the kind of choice a commercial operation should make.
What exactly is Qinghe Ancient Town thinking?
Professor Yang and Professor Jin both agreed with their point of view and nodded: "You are right."
“I just watched their parade, and I can understand why they chose a historical setting.” Professor Jin took out the ticket he had kept in his pocket, pointed to a line of small print, and read it aloud, “Promoting traditional Chinese culture… Every feature of Qinghe Ancient Town is actually closely related to its theme.”
Whether it's the restoration of traditional Chinese architecture, the various intangible cultural heritage crafts in Zone 5, or tonight's grand parade of immortals, they are all the essence of traditional culture.
They weren't just talking; they were actually doing it.
From this perspective, he really admires Qinghe Ancient Town.
“However,” Professor Jin put down his ticket, also having his own questions, “if the goal is to recreate historical scenes, why not choose some famous ones? For example, Qin Shi Huang's Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, Huo Qubing's sealing of the wolf's lair, Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident…”
Wouldn't these attract more viewers and history buffs?
The question remains: why Li Bing and Huang Daopo?
A thought flashed through Yang Qingning's mind, and she blurted out, "Unless they happen to have a very accurate source of information about these two people!"
They knew what the scenes these two men were involved in were like, and they knew what that era was like!
However, as soon as she finished speaking, she found it somewhat ridiculous.
Tian Fan said, "...You might as well say that the creator is a fan of these two, that would be more plausible."
Where would they find accurate information about two historical figures? They couldn't possibly drag these two people out of history, could they?
The two looked at each other and then gave a dry laugh.
Tian Fan cleared his throat: "Let's put these business logics aside for now. Anyway, this production company isn't just shrouded in mystery. Why is its technology even more advanced than some high-tech companies? It would be great to meet their boss..."
I'd really like to interview them.
"However, I saw online that some news media wanted to interview the boss but were refused. It is said that the real boss behind the scenes has gone into seclusion and the current boss is just entrusted to manage the business and does not want to be interviewed publicly."
After the VR experience in Qinghe Ancient Town became famous, it caused a sensation and naturally attracted the attention of the media.
Not only did media outlets want to interview Lu Xiaoqi, but many game companies also wanted to collaborate with her, all of which declined. The explanation given for the former was that the boss didn't want to appear in public, while for the latter, the explanation was that the technology was confidential and had limitations, making it impossible to publicly disclose or promote outside of tourist attractions.
This sparked heated discussions online, with many speculating about the company's background and motives. However, no matter how heated the online debate became, Qinghe Ancient Town never responded, and over time, the buzz died down.
The general consensus now is that the investors behind this are probably rich and capricious, and they only wanted to make a few historical videos to play around with after developing this thing.
I am in awe!
Tian Fan stopped his wandering thoughts and asked Professor Jin, "Teacher, what did you find in it?"
Professor Jin glanced at Professor Yang, his expression meaningful: "You've discovered so much."
First, there's the wine vessel I mentioned before. When Professor Jin was talking to Tian Fan, he was just surprised. Of course, he trusted his student's judgment, but he hadn't actually seen it before. Only today did he understand why Tian Fan reacted that way.
That wine vessel is not only similar in pattern to the one in the Yongcheng Ruins Relics Restoration Room, but also in shape and carving style, which makes it clear that they were made by the same craftsman.
"Even if AI can complete the task, it still needs to be done based on existing data, right?"
Tian Fan nodded: "If we were to complete it, it would be based on the patterns of the remaining parts, the style of artifacts from the same period, and 'speculation' made from historical records."
These are the principles they adhere to when restoring cultural relics.
Professor Jin: "The few fragments that were unearthed before were all extremely damaged, and they have hardly ever been exhibited to the public. So where did the AI get its data?"
Professor Yang: "I asked around today, and none of the people we know have accepted the invitation from Qinghe Ancient Town to serve as an advisor."
He asked around and got a definitive answer.
There are not many living records of Qin history, and the researchers in the field who are quite knowledgeable in the field can only talk about the same few people, and they all know each other.
Professor Jin: "Actually, we've tried using AI to restore some cultural relics in recent years, including this time when Yongcheng made such an effort. I asked them to send over the results, you can see..."
Both young men crowded around; Professor Yang had clearly seen it before.
When Tian Fan looked at the picture, he realized it was vastly different from what he saw in VR, and not just because of technical differences in clarity or realism.
“Look at this part of the foot, and the curve of the belly and the flow…” Professor Jin pointed, his eyes serious. “I originally thought that following this direction would be pretty much correct, but after seeing this wine vessel in VR today, I feel that it is far from it.”
It's like the difference between a counterfeit and a genuine product.
Everyone fell silent.
Professor Yang took a sip of tea: "And Tian Fan, do you remember the craftsman's stamp you found, 'Temple Craftsman Chengjiao Gong Lichen Ao, 50th year, Yi Si'?"
Tian Fan nodded: "I remember, Professor Yang, this is also one of my doubts, I feel it doesn't make sense."
"Sigh—!" Professor Yang sighed. "The common understanding in the historical community is that the dual annotation of the sexagenary cycle and the sexagenary cycle began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The earliest example is the Jia-Yin year of the Yuan Dynasty of Emperor An of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which is 114 AD. In fact, the sexagenary cycle can be traced back to the Jupiter-based year system in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, but how have its details evolved over the years?"
Professor Yang has done research in this area.
"In fact, I wrote a paper before, but I won't go into the details. I'll show it to you when we get back to the capital." Professor Yang's expression shifted. "I'll just give you the conclusion: I believe that during the Warring States period, some royal palaces had already begun to develop a dual system of using the sexagenary cycle and the Chinese sexagenary cycle for date recording!"
However, he didn't have much evidence at the time, so he kept the paper to himself.
So when he saw that craftsman's stamp in VR today, he even got goosebumps and his hair stood on end.
Yang Qingning said weakly, "...Perhaps it's just a coincidence?"
Professor Yang: "There are just too many coincidences!"
Professor Jin: "The patterns on King Zhaoxiang of Qin's jade pendant, the material of the bamboo slips on the table, the way the ropes were tied, and even the characters on them..."
Professor Yang continued, "The leather armor of those palace guards, the angle of the halberd blade and the halberd spike, the length of the shaft and the way it is wrapped... all match the actual halberds that have not yet been fully restored and were unearthed from the Terracotta Army pits."
Tian Fan and Yang Qingning looked at each other in bewilderment.
Professor Jin: "So, just as Qing Ning said, there must be very deep sources of information behind this production company! In fact, these sources are even broader than what we currently know."
Although he felt there was something strange and illogical about what he said, there was nothing he could do; the facts were right in front of him.
We must also admit it.
The group huddled together to discuss what to do next, and Professor Jin finally slapped his thigh and said, "How about this, let's contact the Qinghe City Culture and Tourism Bureau and see if we can get in touch with the ancient town's officials. It would be even better if we could meet the production team."
When they go to other places for inspections, they usually go through the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, which is responsible for museums and cultural centers.
What a coincidence, it happens to be in charge of the scenic area.
"But we'll have to wait until after the New Year to go back to work."
Yang Qingning: "What about tomorrow and the day after?"
They booked tickets for three days.
“Of course I’m going to try out VR again!” Professor Yang said, then looked at her, “You don’t need to go, you can play by yourself! But, how about we get your Fastpass card?” He was a little embarrassed, “Grandpa will reimburse you double!”
Yang Qingning chuckled: "Save one for me?"
She wanted to book a spot for the big show that evening, but regular bookings were already very difficult; you had to compete for a spot every day.
Professor Yang readily agreed: "Okay!"
After the discussion, everyone returned to their respective rooms. Yang Qingning washed up, lay in bed, and picked up her phone to look at the pictures and videos she had taken that day. She rarely posts on WeChat Moments, but she always does when she goes out.
My last post on WeChat Moments was from a few months ago, complaining about a tourist attraction that was a total rip-off and warning people to avoid it.
She selected a few photos intending to edit them, but found that aside from cropping out some pedestrians, almost nothing needed editing. Even a photography novice could produce a good shot. After admiring the photos for a long time, as if transported back to the magnificent scene, she promptly sent them to her best friend, who was currently on vacation abroad and complaining about the crowds at domestic tourist attractions, and then posted them on her WeChat Moments.
My best friend replied instantly: 【Holy crap, where did you go? You look so beautiful!】
Yang Qingning: [Aren't you sleeping? It's five in the morning where you are, right?]
[Sleep?!] My best friend replied with a crying emoji: [The scenery on this island is alright, but the food is awful! How can they have so much seafood and still cook it so badly? It's all just grilling, grilling, and more grilling... Can you believe I was woken up by hunger?]
Yang Qingning laughed loudly on the bed, then opened her phone's photo album and sent over all the delicious food she had eaten that day, receiving several emojis of bloody knives in return.
Best friend: 【I will never forgive you!】
Finally, she asked her where she had gone. Yang Qingning replied: "Qinghe Ancient Town, highly recommended! The scenery and unique attractions are excellent, the food is great, and there are restrictions on the number of visitors. There are also many handsome men and beautiful women; it has almost no downsides."
She has now become a fan of the ancient town.
Best friend: [I should have hung out with you...]
The two chatted for a while longer, then the best friend decided to go back to sleep on an empty stomach.
Yang Qingning: [Then you go to sleep. Tomorrow I'm going to continue eating delicious food and see a show.]
【roll! ! ! 】
After teasing her best friend, Yang Qingning checked her WeChat Moments and found that quite a few people had liked it, mostly praising her beauty and asking where she was. After replying to each person, she yawned, snuggled into the covers, and went to sleep.
She's really tired today, and Grandpa and the others plan to queue up early tomorrow morning to save themselves a chance to get a Fastpass – they're really pushing themselves. So she needs to go to bed early.
The next day they got up early and had breakfast at the hotel.
This hotel is very close to Qinghe Ancient Town and is also the best hotel in the vicinity. Ten out of ten guests come specifically for the ancient town. After sitting down, Yang Qingning heard many guests discussing the grand parade of immortals last night. Only then did she realize that the parade had been posted online and caused quite a stir, even trending on several hot search lists.
“That’s for sure.” Tian Fan, a self-media person specializing in the niche field of ancient architecture photography, said, “At this time of year, various scenic spots are frequent visitors to the trending searches. It would be abnormal if the data didn’t explode after a parade of that caliber last night.”
Moreover, the official operation of the ancient town must have been prepared in advance.
Professor Yang and Professor Jin weren't particularly interested in these things. Yang Qingning opened her phone and scrolled through her most frequently visited social media platforms. Sure enough, there were five related trending topics.
#The True Story of Immortals Descending to Earth in Qinghe Ancient Town# ranks second.
#It is recommended that all scenic spots across the country adopt this coupon#, which is ranked third.
#Zhao Feiyan's Re-employment in the Moon Palace#, sixth.
#The Three-Legged Golden Crow and the Sun Chariot Traverse the Sky#, Chapter 8.
#Night Fog in Qinghe Ancient Town#, Chapter Twelve.
The first one above them is #ISeeTheSeaAtTheForbiddenCity#.
"You've really made something of yourself," Yang Qingning clicked her tongue twice. "You're even on par with the Forbidden City now. That's a top-tier cultural tourism destination." She clicked on it with great interest—or rather, clicked on the Forbidden City—the title itself clearly indicated a sea of people—and clicked on the first topic, "A True Account of a Celestial Being Descending to Earth."
The pinned video is a five-minute highlight reel uploaded by "Warm Breeze". The visuals begin with flowing night mist and stardust scattered by a crane boy, then move to fairy maids carrying lanterns, golden-armored warriors clearing the way and lighting lamps, followed by Zhao Feiyan's moonlit dance and the final golden crow patrolling the sky. Every highlight is included, accompanied by an ethereal ancient-style background music that sends chills down your spine.
Warm Breeze: [The equipment ran out of power, two batteries were used, and my hand cramped up from pressing the buttons so fast! It was worth it! I give this parade a perfect score, and I'm not afraid they'll get arrogant!]
I also added a high-definition nine-grid image to the comments.
I want to retire today too: [Holy crap! This image and video quality is amazing! I want the original image as wallpaper! After seeing this, I just want to buy a ticket and fly there immediately!]
Just want to slack off: [That final, grand finale, the sun chariot—the wheels were practically spewing fire! It was so realistic!]
Warm Breeze replied: 【I checked, it's specially made cold fireworks and lighting effects, combined with the fog, it's amazing!】
Rabbit on the Moon (Newly Renamed Version): 【Ahhhhhh, Sister Yizhu!!! Sister, you've had a hard time descending to Earth!!! You are Chang'e herself! This wire work looks like real flying! My mom asked me why I was kneeling while looking at my phone! [crying][crying][crying]】
Yizhu's Little Cotton-padded Jacket: [Sisters, let's shake hands! I was right there! My voice is hoarse from shouting! The Empress is so beautiful it made me cry! I have no regrets in this life!]
Professional troll (verification failed): 【Pshaw, it's just being suspended by wires, what's so special about that?】
Rabbit on the Moon: [Trolls, begone! If you're so capable, show me how to create something this ethereal! [Knife][Knife][Knife]]
Yang Qingning chuckled as she read. She loved browsing these kinds of things, especially when she saw others enjoying what she liked. She then clicked on another topic:
[I suggest all tourist attractions across the country follow this example and roll it up!]
The blogger initially thought it would be just a regular Spring Festival trip. To be honest, if it weren't for family insistence, I definitely wouldn't have chosen an ancient town during the Spring Festival. Wouldn't that just mean being crammed in with crowds and seeing the same old red lanterns and eating the same old "food"? But! Qinghe Ancient Town is different!
It limits the flow of people, so it's not as crowded. There aren't the same old Yiwu small commodities, nor the giant squid, stinky tofu, and lamb skewers. Everything is unique and inexpensive. The performances are fantastic, featuring a cast of handsome men and beautiful women, and the staff are all very friendly.
I just want to ask, is it really that difficult to do this? Shouldn't this be something every scenic spot should be doing?
I suggest that all scenic spots across the country follow this standard and truly care about us tourists. Stop complaining about being broke during the off-season and then treating us like Japanese tourists during peak season!
Yang Qingning couldn't help but nod after reading it. In fact, tourists can sense whether a scenic spot puts effort into it or not. Sometimes, even if the scenery isn't that beautiful, if it provides a great experience, everyone will be willing to give it a high score.
[I totally agree! These days, tourist attractions would love to build their entrances several kilometers away. You come in, take a shuttle bus, and then they take you on a tour of Yiwu's small commodity street, making you spend at least an hour there before you can really start enjoying yourself.]
[Upstairs, you forgot that when leaving the scenic area, you must pass through the cultural and creative shops and the cultural and creative street.]
If it were truly unique cultural and creative products, I'd be willing to make a point of visiting their shops at museums and amusement parks. But the shops in tourist areas are really overpriced and a rip-off.
My dad once bought a jade bracelet for 10,000 yuan, only to find out later that a proper jewelry store would only sell it for 800 yuan. My mom also bought a saffron bracelet for several thousand yuan, only to later discover it wasn't saffron at all, but safflower (smile) (smile)
Yang Qingning silently gave a thumbs up; she and those around her had all fallen into these traps to varying degrees. Therefore, she was now very wary of these secondary consumption schemes and so-called specialty and cultural and creative shops. During her trip to Qinghe Ancient Town, aside from eating and drinking, she didn't visit many other shops.
At this point, she saw a reply from someone claiming to be an industry insider:
The blogger's ideals are wonderful! But as a seasoned veteran who has been beaten down in the cultural tourism industry for many years, I have to pour some cold water on it! It's impossible to get it going, absolutely impossible! I've also studied Qinghe Ancient Town, or rather, as a newly popular scenic spot, many of my colleagues are actually studying it.
Then I discovered that most scenic spots actually have a very difficult path to replicate.
Let me give you an example of something simple. They once held a snack competition and invited the winners to open shops in their scenic area, rent-free. Everyone probably remembers that, right? That's why they have so many local specialty snacks that aren't expensive, making it a highlight of their reputation.
But would other scenic spots dare to do this? Many scenic spots are contracted out, and they have to pay rent themselves! Moreover, the rent pressure is quite considerable! That's why they like things like giant squid and stinky tofu so much when attracting investment, because these have a big reputation and a wide audience, and there's no need for a break-in period.
But as far as I know, the property rights of Qinghe Ancient Town are in their own hands, so they don't have to bear the pressure of rent, which is why they can operate freely.
They're just rich!
Moreover, because they have money, they can be meticulous in some details. The previous building restorations, and the details you see now, are all the result of money! Including the floats in this parade, I know which company they commissioned, do you know how expensive one is? And those sun chariots, divine birds and such, they are obviously high-tech.
Many scenic spots: Basic infrastructure breaks down and repairs take six months; you're talking to me about high technology? Wake up!
Money really can solve a lot of problems.
Lu Xiaoqi had just woken up and was reading this comment.
She was half in agreement and half in disagreement with the industry insider's answer—the floats did indeed cost them a lot of money, but the Sun God chariots, thanks to the involvement of Su Jun, He Jiangren, Fang Jiangren, and others, actually saved them a considerable amount of money. Also, while these things certainly require money, they can't rely solely on money.
She originally wanted to edit a reply to that person, but then she saw that someone had already replied; it was from an ID called "Classical Architecture Connoisseur":
I disagree with what you said. Because of my own interests, I have visited many scenic spots and know many of their staff.
I discovered that many scenic spots are actually wealthy, but they often don't intend to build a cultural tourism brand; they just want to make a quick buck or even cheat the government out of subsidies.
That's why there are details like shoddy workmanship and the substitution of Japanese for Chinese.
Some are due to their own lack of aesthetic sense and cultural awareness; others are genuinely due to their perfunctory attitude from the start! Especially the staff, many of them act like state-owned enterprises from decades ago, with harsh and unfriendly attitudes—state-owned enterprises don't act like that anymore!
What, I paid money and now I'm being treated badly by you?!
However, I also know that sometimes it's not simply a matter of bad staff attitude or stingy bosses who overwork a few people; anyone would feel resentful. If these scenic area owners were just a little nicer and more generous to their employees, things wouldn't be like this...
"A connoisseur of classical architecture," Tian Fan chuckled after reading it and silently gave him a thumbs up.
This guy made a bet with him in the group, giving away ten tickets to Qinghe Ancient Town. Later, he came to visit twice himself and has become a "Qinghe fanboy". According to him, no matter what else is there, playing in Qinghe Ancient Town is just comfortable!
If there were other hotels nearby, the older brother would probably have wanted to stay for a while longer.
The comment from the "classical architecture connoisseur" also garnered a lot of likes, and many tourists who had visited the site came forward to comment:
[Agreed. Qinghe Ancient Town really puts a lot of thought into the details. Even though they're both lanterns, theirs are much more beautiful and exquisite.]
Yes, the staff in Qinghe Ancient Town are indeed very friendly and helpful, and they are all handsome men and beautiful women.
[Very polite, very kind, and seemed very energetic. Even someone as alive and slightly dying as me was touched by their presence, making me feel that life wasn't so bad after all.]
[Hahaha, with such great benefits, how could they not be energetic?!]
[Curious, what's the salary like?]
[An insider here: The compensation is indeed quite good, 15%-20% higher than comparable positions on the market, plus bonuses. The boss allocates 20% of the annual profit as employee bonuses. Overtime is allowed, especially on holidays, but overtime pay is provided. In addition, we provide meals and accommodation, and five social insurances and one housing fund.]
Wow! No wonder they have such a good attitude. If I worked at a company like that, I could survive too.
[See this, bosses! Don't make a fortune while your employees are working themselves to the bone. Don't go down this path!]
It's hard not to support!
This post suddenly shifted to another direction, becoming a rant thread for ordinary people. Many were asking if it was too late to quit their jobs and move to Qinghe City.
Lu Xiaoqi felt that she wouldn't have to worry about recruitment after the New Year.
Of course, these are just minor incidents; the main thing is to tag the official account and urge them to release the tickets quickly.
[@Qinghe Ancient Town, additional screenings! Additional screenings! Additional screenings! I'm saying it three times because it's important! My child really wants to see living gods!]
[I understand that the limited capacity is for the sake of the experience, but could you please consider those of us who were a step too late and missed out on tickets? [kneeling]]
[The Grand Parade of the Gods was only yesterday? Seriously? Are you guys spending so much money on charity?! Make it a regular program already! I think the Lantern Festival is much better. (Yes, I bought a ticket for the Lantern Festival, come and envy me.)]
[Help! My 180-month-old son watched a video and refuses to sleep, crying and shouting that he wants to go to Qinghe Ancient Town to find the immortals... Where can I find leftover tickets? I'm waiting online, it's urgent!]
Lu Xiaoqi fell into deep thought: ...How about adding some more votes?
The scenic area's current capacity limit is actually around 38,000 to 40,000 visitors. Should we add a little more each day? Otherwise, the official website might be overwhelmed by tourists.
"It looks like they'll be releasing tickets!" While queuing to enter the ancient town, Yang Qingning refreshed the page and suddenly saw the official reply from Qinghe Ancient Town. She immediately showed it to Tian Fan and the others on her phone.
Qinghe Ancient Town:
Dear visitors, thank you for your love and support! This "Grand Parade of the Gods" event has received widespread attention and the atmosphere was lively, thanks in no small part to everyone's enthusiastic participation. However, to ensure a smooth experience for everyone, we have had to limit the number of visitors. We have recently received many inquiries from visitors requesting tickets, and we take this very seriously and will not ignore your needs...
In short, tickets have been released!
Furthermore, the grand parade of deities will reappear on the Lantern Festival in conjunction with the lantern festival, and it is possible that it will become a regular program for holidays in the future.
Yang Qingning's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, "From the fifth day of the Lunar New Year to the Lantern Festival, we'll release 2,000 more tickets every day! There are also an extra 2,000 evening tickets available, available for purchase starting at 3 PM! Should we try to buy more?"
Tian Fan immediately pulled out his phone: "4,000 tickets... a drop in the ocean! But something is better than nothing! Set an alarm! We have to grab them!"
He quickly set up the reminder.
He wanted to snag a Yuanxiao (sweet rice ball) because he'd seen a lantern festival on the program list, which he was sure would be beautiful.
Professor Jin pushed up his glasses: "If we can get one, we will. We can stay here until we start working at the Culture and Tourism Bureau. If we can't get one, we'll go back to the capital first."
Professor Yang nodded: "Let's do it that way!"
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