Nanjing Museum’s VR Immersive Exhibition: Travel Back to Ming Dynasty in 30 Minutes!

Have you ever wondered how ancient people imagined the stars and the sea without spaceships? Or how they mapped the ends of the earth without GPS?

No more armchair speculation—Nanjing Museum is about to unveil an unprecedented journey through time and space!

On July 10, the blockbuster exhibition “View the World: Kunyu Wanguo Quantu—Nanjing Museum VR Large-Scale Immersive Exhibition” officially opens to the public. This is not just a simple exhibition—it uses cutting-edge VR technology to “transport” you back to the Ming Dynasty, letting you step inside an ancient world map and experience the grand imagination of the earth, stars, and world civilizations as seen by people 400 years ago!

Beyond Imagination: When a National Treasure Meets VR, History Comes Alive!

The “Kunyu Wanguo Quantu,” a “national treasure” long hidden in the depths of Nanjing Museum, has always seemed a bit “distant.” As the earliest, most complete, and content-rich Chinese world map, it was created in 1608 during the Ming Dynasty by Italian missionary Matteo Ricci and Chinese scholar Li Zhizao—a true milestone in the collision of Eastern and Western geography. Yet, such a precious artifact is rarely seen by the public, as if it can only be admired from afar.

But now, Nanjing Museum is breaking down that distance! The curatorial team has turned to cutting-edge VR technology, transforming this ancient map from a cold exhibit into an immersive “IP” you can explore. By deeply mining the unique meaning of the “Kunyu Wanguo Quantu” and combining VR with interactive immersion, they’ve created a world you can freely walk through in first-person perspective. This is not just a technological innovation, but a bold attempt to make history “come alive” and culture “go viral.”

30 Minutes “Inside the Painting”: An Immersive Journey into Ming Dynasty Worldviews

“We hope visitors won’t just ‘look at’ the map, but actually ‘step into’ it, becoming part of the story and understanding how people 400 years ago imagined the world from the Ming Dynasty.” That’s the core charm of this exhibition, according to the curatorial team.

The whole journey takes just about 30 minutes. No heavy equipment required—just put on a lightweight VR headset and you can roam freely in a physical space of over 100 square meters, fully immersed in sight, sound, and body.

Imagine: the moment you put on the headset, you’re instantly “present” at the creation of the “Kunyu Wanguo Quantu,” feeling the weight of history in every brushstroke. Next, you soar up to the heavens, experiencing the vastness of the cosmos as ancient people saw it. Then, you’ll join the mighty Ming fleet, sailing into unknown seas, and even encounter a cross-time romance in the “Twin Towers Love Story.” This is not just a visual feast, but a deep cultural experience blending history, geography, astronomy, navigation, and boundless imagination!

The exhibition opened on July 10 at Nanjing Museum, with convenient online reservations available. Notably, there’s almost no technical barrier—perfect for families with children aged 6 to 70 to enjoy together. Even better, visitors who buy tickets and reserve a session can also get free admission to the rest of Nanjing Museum on the same day—a double treat!

One Map, A New Worldview

30 minutes is enough to travel through day and night, and back 400 years. Starting from the “Kunyu Wanguo Quantu,” we not only revisit the splendor of the Ming Dynasty, but more importantly, we gain a deep understanding of the intense collision and fusion of Eastern and Western worldviews 400 years ago. This is more than just a VR experience—it’s a profound reshaping of our own “Ming Dynasty worldview.”