Documentary uses VR to help veterans relive past glories

To grant Tian's wish, Deng Junjie, his 27-year-old grandson, embarked on a journey that took him through the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Guangdong and Hubei provinces to find Wei.

Along the way, Deng engaged in heartfelt conversations with other veterans and finally reached Wei's family.

But he discovered that Wei had passed away.

Using a portrait, the documentary's production team managed to re-create Wei's visage. Then a "time-transcending meeting" between Tian and Wei was realized in the virtual world as Tian donned VR equipment.

Throughout the virtual scene design process, the directorial and technical teams, and the children of the veterans, meticulously crosschecked every detail, says Sun Lu, director of the six-episode series.

"We wanted to create a more authentic ambience, allowing the living veterans to experience a heightened sense of realism and immersion," says Sun.