A Multimedia Package On Tang Period Chang'an

Abstract

Digital modeling is becoming an increasingly effective tool to assist in the visualization of built environments. Extending from more conventional applications in project planning, this technology is proving to be an invaluable asset in the reconstruction of historical sites (Heng et.al. 1997). This paper presents first the results of a research project conducted at the School of Architecture, NUS, to reconstruct the urban landscapes of Tang period (618-907) Chang'an in order to gain a better visual perspective of its past and to study the important aspects of its urban form (Heng Chye Kiang 1995, Heng Chye Kiang and Milton Tan 1996). It also introduces a multimedia package that was subsequently developed for the Asian Civilizations Museum based on the research. During its heyday, Chang'an, the capital of the Tang dynasty, was the foremost city in Asia. Its plan was widely copied by other capital cities in East Asia. Chang'an's city walls enclosed a territory of some 84 km2 and contained about a million people, making it then the largest and probably the mos