A smart lens on the past

A show that breathes

Zhao's metaphor found a practical home in Macao. Catarina Lio, senior vice-president of brand marketing at MGM, wanted the show Macau 2049 to breathe — to evolve with its audience rather than remain frozen in time.

"It begins like a baby, and it continues to grow," she says.

Macau 2049 is a resident production, but she refuses to treat it as a fixed product. The performance integrates eight different forms of intangible cultural heritage, with local villagers — inheritors of these traditions — taking the stage instead of professional actors to present their own culture.

Technology provides the spotlight, she says, but people remain at the heart of the performance.

Lio also challenged a common assumption in the industry.

"We keep hearing that the younger generation has no interest in cultural heritage," she says. "But the key is whether we, as developers, are speaking their language and engaging them on their own terms."

She notes that 500 people from 20 countries came together to create Macau 2049. The goal, she says, is to give culture a second life.

Back at Jinshanling, the ticket seller is still at his post. The line still forms. The heat still bears down. But now, when a visitor from across the world steps up to his window, he hands them a pair of glasses and answers their questions. No translation apps. No awkward typing. Just a conversation.

"The purpose of technology is not to replace humans," Wu of LLVision says. "It is to help people live better lives."

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn