China's service sector continues to explore new ways to attract customers by blending food and culture with immersive experiences.
Entering a building in downtown Chengdu in southwestern China, people travel back in time to experience a banquet only seen in China thousands of years ago.
The first stop before being seated is to find the right attire. There are hundreds of options for customers to choose from traditional Chinese clothing known as Hanfu.
Hanfu comes from different dynasties. The styles dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) are very popular among girls because the outfits are light-weight and flow beautifully, according to a dresser.
When the show starts, visitors are taken back in time by the music and dances and food.
It is a restaurant and a theater, combining delicacies and performances inspired by poems and history. Now, it serves an autumn banquet.
Chinese cuisine is not just about feeding people. A lot of seasonal specialties are used here, such as ginkgo nuts and deer tendon that can add vitality to the body.
The whole experience reflects how people enjoyed food, dance and performances in ancient time.
Blending food and culture with immersive experiences continue to be in trend as China's service sector expands.
Popular among local visitors, it's starting to attract the attention of international guests too.
China's service sector explores new ways fusing culture, catering to promote consumption
A digital museum boasting a splendid combination of advanced technology with art and nature has wowed visitors with immersive cultural experiences in Chengdu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Waterfalls, romantic thunder, beach, stars, forests and flowers are presented through digital media technology in the Arte Museum Chengdu, where visitors can get the chance to immerse themselves in some extremely shocking visuals and sound effects, with a touch of elegance.
With thousands of tons of water pouring down, the giant digital artwork titled "Waterfall Infinite" crosses the boundary between reality and the virtual world, allowing people to let loose their imagination.
Other dazzling light and shadow exhibitions also showcase the creativity of digital media art while allowing visitors to feel the power of nature -- the roaring waves symbolize the challenges and innovations of digitization, the sea of flowers represents harmony and the universe, and the vast display of paper art makes visitors feel as if they are walking through a drizzle.
An exhibition section called "Colorful China" interprets traditional Chinese culture through digital art, from Chinese bamboo forests to beautiful poems. It's just like walking through a world of changing light and shadows.
"Walking into each exhibition area, you experience a different effect of fragrance, and the surrounding sound creates an audio-visual effect. This immerses you in the scene," said Luo Ning, a visitor at the museum.
"The atmosphere is really good, it feels like you are actually there. It's not just an art gallery, it feels like a palace. The sense of immersion is really great," said another visitor.
The stunning artwork is created by the world-renowned digital design company, D'strict. The series, named "Eternal Nature," involves the company designing immersive digital artworks by combining natural and cultural heritage from different exhibiting regions from around the world.
The series "Eternal Nature" has been exhibited in eight venues in major cities across the world, bringing a unique experience to more than 7 million people so far.
Digital artworks offer unique experience in Chengdu
