Digital Storytelling with VR

Visual Conservation of Kowloon City’s Heritage

Photos taken by Birdy Chu

Why we do this project

The cherished old shops of Nga Tsin Wai Road in Kowloon City District are set to be demolished by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) within the next decade. This impending change underscores the urgency of digitally preserving our local heritage. In view of this, we are making use of the power of Virtual Reality (VR) to safeguard the old local shops in this area. Our goal is to enlighten the younger generation about the significant role of VR in urban development while deepening the appreciation of Kowloon City District’s culture and history.

Integrate into Teaching and Learning

The VR journey blended into the existing courses:

Art and Digital Culture (HUMA1673 CORE1668)
Digital Humanities (HUMA5630)
Photography (HUMA1154 CORE1666)

This integration offers a hands-on approach, enabling students to transform tangible cultural artifacts into enduring virtual memories. Students are mentored in photography or/and photogrammetry and crafting physical objects into 3D models that suitable for integrating into VR scenes, thereby adding depth to our projects with their unique stories and viewpoints of the old shops in Kowloon City.

Fieldtrip to Kowloon City

On 20 July 2024, our project team visited Kowloon City to document two cherished shops in this area: Yuen Mao Hing Kee Tea Shop (源茂興記茶莊) and Kam Shing Dried Seafood Shop (金城海味). We conducted oral interviews with the shop owners, capturing their stories and the rich history behind these establishments. Additionally, we utilized photogrammetry techniques to take detailed photos and videos of the shops and their objects, ensuring a comprehensive visual record.

Bringing the Shops to Life in VR

Using the sound recordings from the interviews with the shop owners and the photographic data collected, our team has begun the process of rendering immersive 3D VR scenes. These virtual recreations will allow users to step inside the shops, exploring the complex details and experiencing the unique atmosphere.

In the face of impending government redevelopment, we aim to preserving these soon demolished shops for the future by digitally preserving these cherished old shops using VR techniques. The VR experience will not only serve as a virtual time capsule but also as a tool for education and appreciation, ensuring that the stories of these iconic establishments are passed down to future generations. Preserving these soon demolished shops for the future.

VR Preview

The previews below were produced by our two student members, Matthew and Xiaoyuan, showcased how it looks like in our VR products for the two shops Kam Shing Dried Seafood Shop (金城海味) and Yuen Mao Hing Kee Tea Shop (源茂興記茶莊) respectively. You may also download the PC version that created by Matthew and Xiaoyuan, viewing the two shops in your local computer (download here).

3D Objects

3D objects are essential materials in developing our VR environments. These individual 3D objects can be set as interactable in the VR scene, allowing users to explore their virtual surroundings. This interactivity enhances the sense of presence, making users feel more engaging. For example, users can pick up the objects and the corresponding sound recording will be triggered and its subtitle will be shown. We hope that this could fosters a deeper connection and understanding towards the demolishing shops.

Curious about how these 3D objects were created and what tools we used? Check out the tutorial articles here that written by our students!

Kam Shing Dried Seafood Shop (金城海味)

Below are some of the 3D objects that created by our students - Yanran and Matthew.

Yuen Mao Hing Kee Tea Shop (源茂興記茶莊)

Below are some of the 3D objects that created by our students - Fiona and Xiaoyuan.

Visit our sketchfab account to view more 3D models that we created in this project!

This project is a Teaching and Learning Innovation Project (TLIP) that funded by the HKUST’s Center for Education Innovation (CEI) (Jan 2024 – Jan 2025). This webpage showcases the outcomes during this project period.

Project Team:

Qiuzi GUO, Division of Humanities & Library (hmqzguo@ust.hk)
Birdy CHU, Division of Humanities (hmshun@ust.hk)
Holly CHAN, Library (lbholly@ust.hk)
CHENG Nin Sun, Matthew (student from BEng in Chemical and Environmental Engineering)
FENG Shiqi, Fiona (student from BSc in Integrative Systems and Design)
GU Yanran (student from BSc in Individualized Interdisciplinary Major)
SHEN Xiao Yuan (student from MPhil in Chemical and Biological Engineering)