SINGAPORE, 2 December 2022 - In a bid to elevate visitor experience, the team at Thian Hock Keng presented its visitors with a dedicated 3D virtual tour app this morning. Visitors to the temple can now learn more about this centuries-old national monument via their mobile devices and experience a real-time 3D virtual tour of Thian Hock Keng temple.
The occasion was graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, at the opening ceremony of the Singapore Hokkien Festival. In its 7th edition, the Singapore Hokkien Festival aims to promote better understanding and appreciation of local Chinese and Hokkien cultures to fellow Singaporeans, residents and visitors.
Singapore’s oldest Chinese temple, Thian Hock Keng is steeped in heritage and is a must-visit for history aficionados and those curious about oriental culture. Built in 1839 with the support of prominent members of the Hokkien community, such as philanthropist Tan Tock Seng, it is Singapore's oldest Chinese temple. Thian Hock Keng is not only a living-monument and architectural masterpiece but also an important stakeholder in Singapore’s history from the 1800s. It holds the secrets of a rare century-old gem in modern day Singapore.
“We thank the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan for giving us the opportunity to digitalise a precious part of Singapore’s history and heritage. It is necessary and important for tangible cultural heritage at risk, for their preservation and restoration purposes. We are able to contribute to the better protection of our physical cultural heritage sites and objects by enabling research and discovery using 3D models instead of direct handling. This 3D Digital Twin/Tour app will also be valuable for many purposes, including conservation and preservation, reproduction, research, education, exploration, and creative or tourism-related reuses,” said Jon Lee, CEO/Founder of VIZZIO Technologies Pte Ltd.
He added, “we are creating not just digital twin of cities, but also “cloning” and “mapping” the streets, the indoors and outdoors of the temple and adding real time into our digital twin. The visitors’ experience will be enriched by a unique street view on an online map engine. VIZZIO will present visitors with a different kind of 3D Tour - a real time 3D virtual tour of Thian Hock Keng, seeing everything live while they navigate the 182-year old Thian Hock Keng temple. We patented this “LIVE DIGITAL TWIN”, fusing video and converting them into 3D geometry.”
