3D documentation on Chinese Hakka Tulou and Internet-based virtual experience for cultural tourism: A case study of Yongding County, Fujian

Hakka culture, the material and spiritual wealth of the Hakka, originated in Xijin Dynasy (266 AD) and manifests in the forms of language, folk customs, architecture, relationship, etc. Yongding County, the Hakka culture resorts, are attracting more and more tourists home and abroad over the past few decades in China. Known as the living fossil of the ancient Chinese culture, Hakka culture has not been well studied and Tulou (Hakka Earth Buildings), which still inhabited by the Hakka as their traditional and permanent house, have been poorly maintained. In this paper, a practice of 3D documentation on the Chinese Hakka culture within Yongding County, Fujian Province by a multidisciplinary approach was conducted, and an Internet-based virtual experience system for tour purpose was presented. First, the materials and knowledge of Hakka culture was surveyed and collected on site, including historical evolution, Tulou or its ruins or remains and folk customs. Then, the data sets associated with Tulou from terrestrial laser scanner, unmanned aerial vehicle and digital camera, are integrated in order to model in 3D realistic manner. Finally, an internet-based cloud-enabled 3D geographic information service system for Hakka culture (HCGISS) was developed with data storage on cloud end and service functions, such as scene loading and browsing, thematic cultural maps display, information query and online virtual experience for tour, tourist route navigation to users on browser end. The system provides the Internet-based virtual experience for cultural tour in 3D interactive way and a novel platform for Hakka culture presentation, cognition and heritage as well. It is helpful to awaken the public's awareness to protect the traditional unique Hakka culture.