Illuminating the elements in immersive experiences

Illuminating the elements in immersive experiences

Light, water and legend converge as Doupotang Waterfall transforms Journey to the West into immersive art

Words Verity Butler

In the heart of the Guizhou province, China, where mists shroud cliffs and rivers carve through lush landscapes, a fusion of art and technology is captivating audiences. At the famous Doupotang Waterfall, a new nighttime attraction titled Revisiting Journey to the West reimagines the beloved 1986 television series through immersive projection, live performance and interactive storytelling.

Powered by seven Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projectors, the production transforms the waterfall and surrounding cliffs into a living canvas where visitors can experience the 7th-century pilgrimage of Buddhist monk Xuanzang as never before. The show combines projection mapping, mechanical staging and audience interactivity to place viewers at the heart of this epic westward journey. Using shimmering water and rugged cliffs as the backdrop, the attraction blends natural beauty with powerful projection mapping technology.

“The Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB projectors offer exceptional brightness and colour fidelity, perfectly realising the director’s vision across every detail, from the cascading waterfall to the cliff-face imagery,” says Di Zhang, spokesperson for Guangming Huachuang. “This project showcases how technology can elevate artistic storytelling while pushing new boundaries in creative design, cultural integration and technical excellence in China’s cultural tourism sector.”

The installation has three Griffyn projectors illuminating a 56m-wide and 13m-high waterfall, another three projecting across a 42m-wide, 10m-high water curtain and one projecting a 20m-wide Buddha image on the cliff face. By precisely blending these visuals, the team achieved seamless imagery on surfaces that are constantly moving and uneven, creating a visually stunning immersive environment.

Delivering visuals on the natural, unpredictable surfaces inevitably came with its unique challenges. Guangming Huachuang’s technical team needed to navigate rugged terrain, high-altitude nstallations and dispersed mounting points (without any cranes!), all while simultaneously ensuring pixel-perfect alignment. Synchronising the visuals, live performances and music also increased the complexity.

Christie’s Griffyn 4K50-RGB projectors were essential to overcoming these challenges. Compact yet powerful, they offer 50,000 lumens of brightness, native 4K resolution and over 98% of the recommended 2020 colour gamut, all of which ensure vivid imagery, even in problematic conditions. Advanced warping, blending and calibration tools let the team align multiple projectors with accuracy, maintaining clarity and colour fidelity but also providing a space-efficient design ideal for rugged outdoor environments.

Audiences can see Xuanzang’s pilgrimage from a first-person perspective, journeying alongside him as light and water merge to form landscapes, characters and spiritual symbols. A Buddha image projected onto the cliff face becomes a focal point, demonstrating the ability of projection mapping technology to evoke reverence.

Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB projectors were used to transform the Doupotang Waterfall

Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB projectors were used to transform the Doupotang Waterfall

Gene Wang, director of pro AV sales for China at Christie, says: “We’re happy to see the Griffyn 4K50-RGB projectors bring this visually and culturally significant production to life. It highlights Christie’s technological leadership in cultural tourism and outdoor immersive entertainment, reflecting our ongoing commitment to empowering creativity via innovation.”

Beyond technical achievement, the show demonstrates how advanced projection tools can deepen audience engagement. Visitors have described the experience as ‘stunning’, ‘immersive’ and ‘well worth the visit’.

Achieving the show’s visual impact required careful planning. The team conducted detailed surveys and 3D simulations to optimise colour accuracy, brightness and geometry before installation. Custom IP65-rated enclosures guaranteed reliable outdoor operation, and Guangming Huachuang worked closely with creative producers to fine-tune effects, providing long-term operational training.

Along with Guangming Huachuang’s deployment strategy and custom-engineered IP65 enclosures, the team achieved reliable performances across multiple sites in record time. Most importantly, close collaboration with the show’s creative team made sure the technology seamlessly supported the artistic vision, which transformed Doupotang Waterfall into a breathtaking fusion of light, nature and imagination.

Revisiting Journey to the West has not only captivated audiences but also set new benchmarks for immersive tourism in China. It has earned the China Lighting Award (second prize), the Aladdin Magic Lamp Award for outstanding lighting project and recognition as a national pilot for immersive tourism. It also ranks among Ctrip’s top 100 Asian night tourism attractions for 2025.

The production has not only boosted local tourism, visitor engagement and spending practices, but it has also been generating plenty of job opportunities for the surrounding community. It goes to show how technology, when applied thoughtfully, can both enhance cultural storytelling and contribute to sustainable regional development.

As visitors gaze at the waterfall, they aren’t just witnessing a show; they are stepping into a legend reborn.

This feature was first published in the Winter 2025 issue of LIVE.