A revolutionary tribute to the Long March

This reconnection is first reflected in the change in how people visit places. Rather than looking at exhibits and reading the words and pictures on display boards, in this museum visitors walk forward through different historical scenes.

In one chapter, they see the fierce Battle of the Xiangjiang River in present-day Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Although Red Army soldiers managed to break through the Kuomintang's blockade lines, they suffered massive losses, with their blood dyeing the river red.

In another, they see how Mao Zedong led troops across the Chishui River four times to break through and shake off the enemy's encirclement and pursuit. Sitting on moving seats, the audience rises and falls with them to experience the thrills and dangers of the Red Army's river crossing.

"We combine a real-scene, irregularly shaped display system, mechanical motion, digital imaging and 3D sound-field technologies. In this way, battle trenches, mountains, firearms and flames are turned from two-dimensional scenes into spaces that can be physically felt," says Wang.

In one section about Red Army soldiers climbing the snowcapped Jiajin Mountain in Sichuan province, visitors feel wind, snow and cold. They also hear the sound of footsteps and distant cries. At the same time, the soldiers' shadows can be seen on the "cliff".

"Through visuals, sound, environmental special effects, and spatial structure, the audience's sight, hearing, and even physical sensations can all be aroused," says Wang.

"Physical participation will bring spiritual presence. When both your body and spirit are truly engaged with a historical scene, history can turn from something 'I know' to something 'I feel'."