VR tours opening new frontier in China's tourism boom

BEIJING - For those concerned about altitude sickness, a virtual reality (VR) immersive expedition in Beijing offers a unique opportunity to explore the Potala Palace, located at an altitude of over 3,600 meters in Lhasa in southwest China's Xizang autonomous region.

Strapping on a headset and backpack computer, visitors are transported into a digitally reconstructed version of the temple, where they can meander past giant murals and Buddha statues, all while avoiding the usual bustle and hustle at this iconic tourist hotspot.

As visitors pass through temple gates or shimmering portals, they're immersed in other surreal landscapes of Xizang, from standing at the heart of the moonlit Basum Lake to being surrounded by dancers performing the lively yak dance.

The 40-minute digital tour has many such moments where visitors can easily forget they're actually strolling through an empty 400-square-meter exhibition hall in Beijing's trendy 798 Art Zone.

Such immersive expeditions, known as Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) VR, are mushrooming in Chinese cities, reshaping the exhibition tour experience while blazing a new trail for VR technologies.

In Chengdu, China's sci-fi capital, a VR facility recreates iconic scenes from Liu Cixin's science fiction masterpiece "The Three-Body Problem." It has become popular among sci-fi fans at home and abroad since its launch in September 2024.

As a hub for international brands to launch new products and flagship stores, Shanghai is home to successful LBE VR titles such as "Horizon of Khufu," which explores the iconic pyramid, including areas that have never been open to the public.

Developed by French company Excurio, the Khufu tour stands as a leading example of LBE VR in China, having received more than 300,000 visitors since entering the Chinese market in 2023. It has recently arrived in Shenzhen, marking its fourth stop in China.

"The key strength of VR lies in taking users to places that are difficult to access in reality, such as outer space and deep sea," said Lou Yanxin, founder of Sandman Studios, which developed the Potala Palace VR experience based on digital scanning of the temple.

"There are people who can't visit the Potala Palace for health reasons, and for those who do, there are still areas that are closed to tourists, and some murals can not be appreciated up close. These limitations are not an issue in a VR experience," he said.

Priced between 100-200 yuan ($14-$27), these VR tours also provide a budget-friendly alternative for enthusiasts, allowing them to experience the technology without the need to invest in costly VR headsets, Lou added.

The rapid proliferation of this novel VR application in China aligns perfectly with the country's tourism boom and its push for the "debut economy," which includes the launch of new products, business models and technologies, as well as the opening of flagship stores.

China recorded a total of 5.615 billion domestic travel trips in 2024, marking a 14.8 percent increase from the previous year, according to official data. The tourism fervor has reportedly generated a growing demand for innovative entertainment experiences, prompting the sector to embrace new technologies like VR and AI.

NEW HORIZON OF TOURISM

As a new business model, VR immersive experiences saw impressive growth in China last year and has proved its commercial viability here, according to Tang Yicheng, founder of The Multiverse Project, which introduced "Horizon of Khufu" into Asia.

Inspired by the huge market success of "Horizon of Khufu," Tang's company has planned to introduce a new VR tour centering around French Impressionist artworks this year. Lou's studio is also working to bring Liu Cixin's sci-fi fairy tale "The Firekeeper" to life through another VR project.

Industry practitioners estimate that China now has around 200 companies developing LBE VR content, with the thriving ecosystem helping to reduce the average production time for one project to around six months.

Chinese manufacturers known for their competitive prices and innovation prowess have also weighed in by rolling out lighter and cheaper gears at a faster pace, Lou said.

Meanwhile, industry observers acknowledge the many challenges facing the sector, including high investment thresholds, long content creation cycles, and insufficient public understanding.

"Immersive experience is still a new face in the market. The presence of some low-quality titles may result in poor consumer experience, thus jeopardizing the reputation of the entire industry," Tang said.