The first "time-traveling" gateway connecting the two countries.

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly restricted and hampered travel and tourism between countries. In this context, Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, has launched an interesting initiative: a real-time online portal to another city. Two circular portals have been placed in Vilnius (Lithuania) and Lublin (Poland) to connect the residents of these two cities during the pandemic.

The gate is circular, symbolizing the wheel of time. In science fiction, "time-travel" gates are depicted as capable of allowing people to travel through time and space. In Vilnius, the electronic gate is installed near the central train station, connecting in real time to Plac Litewski Square in Lublin, 600 km away.

Both gates feature large screens and cameras that broadcast live images of the two cities. Currently, the gates are muted due to digital limitations, and although 24/7 audio is difficult, people from both cities still have ways to communicate with each other, such as waving, sending kisses, or using body language. The gate's founders say that the audio will be turned on for special events.

The circular design of the gateway was created by engineers at the Innovation and Creativity Center of Vilnius Gedima University of Technology. According to the project's inventors, it is a form of digital bridge that encourages people to think about the meaning of connection. "It is a connecting bridge and a call to transcend past prejudices and disagreements," said Benediktas Gylys, the initiator of the idea.

The gate took five years to complete, and the timing of the pandemic was perfect for introducing it to the public, when people felt isolated and craved something new. Currently, the gate is attracting significant attention on social media, with posts about it receiving over 140,000 likes in less than a day on Reddit. Social media users are leaving humorous comments, such as "if you run through the gate, you'll be in Poland."

The gateway connecting Vilnius and Lublin is the world's first "time-traveling" gateway and will not be the last. Project developers hope they will continue to appear around the world. Currently, two cities are planned to have gateways installed: Reykjavik (Iceland) and London (England).

Huyen Chau