Pompeii was the second largest city in ancient Rome. In this place where ancient Greek and Roman civilizations blended, it gave birth to fantasies about prosperous cities, romantic art, love and faith, and people who lived a comfortable life. The turning point of everything was in 79 AD, when the eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city in an instant, like a meteor, becoming a fleeting light in the long river of history. The ancient city that had been dormant for two thousand years, with the continuous excavation of archaeologists, the ruins of Pompeii gradually came to light, revealing to the world the glory and vicissitudes of ancient Rome.
Using digital means to recreate the glory and fall of the ancient city of Pompeii, the "Pompeii: The Last Day" multi-immersive experience exhibition opened in Beijing on March 18. Entering the exhibition, the audience can experience the moment of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius from a first-person perspective.
Exhibition View
"Pompeii: The Last Day" was jointly created by Chinese Dream and the Madrid Digital Art Center in Spain. The original version took 6 months of creative curation, and the overall creation cycle lasted 18 months. It was completed by a team of 150 interdisciplinary experts. The Chinese tour was introduced in 2024 and took 4 months of local curation to present a mysterious ancient city exploration experience in a more narrative way.
The exhibition allows visitors to immerse themselves in Pompeii, a city that symbolizes the emerging power of the Roman Empire, and explore urban space, lifestyle, cultural customs, delicious food, etc., and experience the moment of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius from a first-person perspective. Experience cultural relics and historical materials, urban public spaces, nearly 1,000 square meters of panoramic light and shadow immersion, metaverse (traveling VR) and virtual reality (VR) experience.
The audience will become explorers of the ancient city, with the journey of urban exploration serving as the narrative thread.
The poet's humming lingers in your ears - "Born from dust, to dust, the spirit is eternal." In the reference room and treasure room, follow the archaeological materials and real cultural relics to deconstruct Pompeii's legendary history: the City Silhouette Gallery shows the ruins of modern Pompeii; wander in the ancient Roman open-air theater and gardens, and feel the tension that art has brought to this city.
The corridor before entering the exhibition introduces the history of the ancient city of Pompeii and the daily life of the earliest residents in Pompeii to the audience through photos and wall texts.
Pompeii is located on a plain about 30 meters above sea level at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. Its territory extends along the coastline and is very close to Naples. With this unique geographical location, it has become a key hub in the region. It has fostered a booming agriculture, hunting, fishing, animal husbandry, and grape cultivation. In the 6th century BC, Pompeii officially started the process of urbanization and gradually developed into a residential center.
Photos of Pompeii today
The first thing worth mentioning about Pompeii is the ancient Roman residences scattered throughout the city-state. The layout of ancient Roman residences is unique, with a grand courtyard like a heart, and many rooms emanating from the atrium. These rooms are often decorated with exquisite mythological scenes, as if telling the legends of the gods in the long river of history, highlighting the unique spiritual beliefs of that era.
The center of the courtyard is open-air, and when it rains, rainwater flows down the eaves and gathers in the reservoir below. The house also has a garden surrounded by a columned porch, providing a cool and quiet place for residents to rest. Some houses have exquisite small kitchens, scattered closets, and all household items are available, usually with a bathroom.
Archaeological excavation of ancient Roman residences
Reconstruction of an ancient Roman residence
In Pompeii, residents have a simple breakfast, and usually eat it standing up. Freshly baked bread is smeared with garlic or salt, served with rich cheese, sweet honey, and seasonal fresh fruits. It is simple but full of flavor. Children under the age of seven usually start their journey of seeking knowledge under the careful guidance of their parents or tutors, gradually mastering the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and music, laying a solid foundation for future growth. From the age of seven to twelve, children enter school and continue their studies in a more systematic educational environment.
Food depicted in Pompeii frescoes
During the day, the residents of Pompeii were busy with housework, mostly supervised by women to ensure that everything was in order. When the work was finished and night fell, the men returned home and the family sat around to share dinner. The dining table became the focus of social and family life, with laughter and joy echoing around, and family affection and friendship collided in the clinking of cups.
Daily life in Pompeii as depicted in paintings
Pompeii's bustling daily life came to an abrupt end in 79 AD.
Entering the first exhibition unit, you will see several fiberglass models of bodies. After the volcanic eruption, the moist and dense volcanic ash is like a tight shroud. When the volcanic ash gradually solidifies, the outlines of the victims' bodies and even bones are permanently frozen and sealed. By accurately injecting plaster into the cavity left after the body melts, you can reproduce the desperate situation of the residents of Pompeii who died in the tragic fire.
Several fiberglass body models at the exhibition site
This section also displays some ancient Roman cultural relics.
Marble statue of Diana, torso, 1st-2nd century AD
Aphrodite doll 1st-2nd century AD
Mask of Dionysus (replica)
The next three units are the most important immersive exhibition parts of this exhibition. The perfect fusion of dusty history and modern technology vividly shows the glory and fall of the ancient city, interprets the delicate and detached spirit of Pompeii, and triggers people's deep thinking about time.
The people of Pompeii were born with a carefree attitude - "Have fun! The future is unknown." This 20-minute panoramic immersive digital narrative film tells the story of the former citizens of Pompeii, narrating in their own words the moment of destruction caused by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
It is worth mentioning that the record of the ancient city of Pompeii by the Roman writer Pliny the Younger is a key historical document for studying the destruction of the city. He described in detail the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD through letters. He mentioned that at the beginning of the eruption, a "huge umbrella-shaped cloud" appeared, followed by a torrential rain of volcanic ash and pumice, and the sky was covered to a dark state where "you couldn't see your hand in front of you." His records also include details of Pliny the Elder (his uncle)'s attempt to rescue the residents of Pompeii by boat as a Roman naval commander. These historical materials, combined with archaeological materials in recent years, became the basis for the production of this digital narrative film.
The scene seen with VR glasses
What you see with VR glasses
Exhibition site
The exhibition has two VR units. Visitors will escape into the market and get deeper into local life. Put on VR glasses, explore the mansion of the Pompeii family and see its prosperity and destruction at the moment. Then they can watch the thrill of the Colosseum up close and experience fantasy from underwater and high altitude perspectives.
Put on VR glasses and explore the ancient city of Pompeii
The shock and regret brought by historical events. "Life is limited, love has no boundaries, and the moment is eternal." At the end of the exhibition, the audience is called on to cherish the present and respect eternity.
Cultural exchange is an important bridge to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between countries and nations. At the opening of the exhibition, Mr. Eduardo Carrasco, Political Counselor of the Spanish Embassy in China, said that he was very honored to participate in this event and was sincerely happy that the first Asian exhibition of "Pompeii: The Last Day" was successfully held in China. He fondly recalled the deep bond he had with the city of Pompeii, which held many beautiful memories for him. He looked forward to reliving those precious past times through this exhibition and sharing the unique charm of Pompeii with more people.
Su Jia, vice president of China Media Group, pointed out that this exhibition hopes to allow everyone to cross thousands of years and experience the moment when civilization was highly prosperous but suddenly stagnated through advanced immersive technology, artistic expression techniques, precious historical relics and textual materials. This is a reflection on the present and the future, and also an exploration of civilization and human resilience.
Talking about the original intention of curating the exhibition, Jelle, CEO and producer of the Madrid Digital Art Center in Spain, said that creating a unique experience that is challenging, entertaining, interesting and emotionally deep for the audience through the exhibition is their core pursuit. They use a digital, interactive and attractive way to allow the audience to learn and understand history while not neglecting the respect for historical accuracy. He was deeply impressed and gratified to witness the perfect presentation of the project in China.
According to curator Liu Yuqing, in order to allow Chinese audiences to have a deeper understanding and perception of the city of Pompeii and specific public spaces, this first exhibition in Asia has made localized innovative designs based on the original content, especially introducing the scene creation of an open-air theater, and restoring the art garden of the Poet's House to reproduce the life aesthetics of the ancient Roman period. At the same time, the exhibition incorporates the role settings of Pompeii citizens, and brings a more immersive experience to the audience through exhibition guidance and random interactions. This educational entertainment space constructed with storytelling design and expression will open a unique cultural exploration journey for the audience.
It is reported that the first exhibition in Asia has been officially opened to the public and will last until August 31, 2025. During the exhibition, Chinese Dream will work with UCP Hengtong International Innovation Park to further explore the rich cultural connotations of ancient Rome through a series of carefully planned sharing sessions and workshops, and promote the integration and innovation of digital technology and culture and art.
