"The Forbidden City: Beyond Space and Time", a joint project of the Palace Museum and IBM, was launched on the June16th. The two sides will spend two years building an interactive real-time information and guiding platform for a global audience both on the spot and via the Internet.

According to the Palace Museum deputy chief Li Wenru, the online virtual Forbidden City will showcase the ancient buildings and cultural relics as well as the history of the Imperial Palace. It is more than web pages or a website, but an online system that interacts with remote visitors and allows them to operate directly. People thousands of miles away can visit the entire Imperial Palace via the system without taking the long journey.

Moreover, when visiting the Imperial Palace's actual grounds, tourists can confirm their locations via mobile phone messages. Tourists visiting the Imperial Palace often face the problem of finding their way. After this project is completed, tourists who get lost can shoot a photo of their surroundings via a mobile phone and send it to get a reply giving them directions.

Besides, the guiding system will demonstrate the cultural relics in multiple languages for tourists and answer their questions via wireless positioning.

(Chinanews June 19, 2006)