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This October, the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida, USA, officially opened a special exhibition titled...Machu Picchu and Golden Empires of Peru(Machu Picchu and the Golden Ages of Peru), produced by Cityneon (Singapore). This is the first exhibition to use virtual reality (VR) technology to give visitors an incredibly realistic experience of visiting the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu sits atop a mountain in the Urubamba Valley in Peru, about 80 km northwest of Cusco. It is often referred to as the "lost city of the Incas." The term "lost" comes from the fact that this ancient city, dating back to the 15th century, was only rediscovered in 1911 by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become the most important tourist attraction in Peru.
Machu Picchu was built on the orders of the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438-1472) to celebrate his victory after conquering the Chancas tribe.
After the fall of the Inca empire, Machu Picchu was forgotten until it was accidentally rediscovered by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911.
Machu Picchu was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. To preserve and protect this historical site, fewer than 1 million tourists are allowed to visit annually. In 2020, that number dropped to 250,000 as social distancing measures were implemented and tightened.
Therefore, the idea behind this exhibition is to give visitors the opportunity to admire the beauty of the ancient ruins without having to visit in person, in addition to accessing artifacts from pre-Inca civilizations. With the support of the Peruvian government and the World Heritage Exhibition Organization, Cityneon was granted the right to use state-of-the-art drones to capture high-quality images of the entire Machu Picchu landscape.
Machu Picchu was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and was voted by the international community as one of the "7 modern wonders of the world" in 2007.
This "virtual tour" will take visitors back in time to the Andean era, 3,000 years ago.
Visitors will embark on a journey back in time to the Andean era – the only cradle of civilization in South America 3,000 years ago – via a VR chair, fully equipped with features designed to stimulate all the senses. This device allows visitors to see, hear, feel, and even smell the distinctive scents of Machu Picchu throughout the journey. A prime example is the high-resolution 6-DOF VR headset, allowing users to move around and touch 192 priceless artifacts in the royal tomb of the Andean rulers, many of which have never been seen in Peru before. Accompanying visitors as guides is the mythological hero Ai Apaec.
In particular, visitors can clearly feel the movement of their bodies thanks to haptic technology, installed behind the seats, as they travel through the Amazon rainforest and see firsthand the gold attire dating back to 1300 AD of the Chimu rulers – the largest kingdom of the pre-Inca empire. Furthermore, the realism of the expedition is heightened by the vibrant natural scenery of Machu Picchu, the roars of leopards, the calls of macaws, and the torrential rain.
During this "virtual tour," visitors have the opportunity to admire antique items that may never have been seen in Peru before.
Ron Tan, Chairman and CEO of Cityneon, said: “Through this exhibition, visitors will be able to access history in a way never before seen,” he continued, “Each person can experience the magnificent beauty of Machu Picchu as if they were actually there, and explore the ancient cultures of this city from the Andes mountains, 2,134 meters above sea level.”
The Inca Trail leads to the ancient city of Machu Picchu.
Tickets for the tour have gone on sale and we started welcoming guests from October 16th.
Video introducing the tour:
The pandemic has severely impacted the global tourism industry, bringing almost all activities to a standstill. However, this "freezing" of traditional tourism has also paved the way for the rise of digital tourism, with virtual tourism being seen as a trend creating novel experiences. "Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru is a spectacular exhibition showcasing the limitless potential of VR technology, with the participation of many talented engineers," shared Anthony Tann, President of the World Heritage Exhibition Organization.
Tickets for the exhibition are now officially on sale at the online portal.Boca Museumand began welcoming visitors on October 16th at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, before this tour was organized around the world.
Additional information
Duration: from October 16, 2021 to March 6, 2022
Buy tickets at:Boca Museum
Ticket prices: starting at $19.95 for children (ages 3 to 12) and $29.95 for adults.
The Boca Museum tour began welcoming visitors on October 16th at the Boca Raton Art Museum, before the tour was organized around the world.
