Study on the Vivification Pathway of Lingnan Cantonese Opera in the Virtual Reality Interaction: A Case Study of Cantonese Opera “Di Nv Hua (The Emperor's Daughter)”

With the rapid development of information technologies such as big data, the Internet of Things, virtual/augmented/mixed reality, a new technological revolution centered around three-dimensional virtual reconstruction and virtual heritage restoration exhibitions has emerged. As a vital component of the intangible cultural heritage represented by Cantonese opera in Guangdong Province, Cantonese opera costumes hold a significant position in local Chinese opera costumes and represent a crucial feature of Lingnan culture. However, Cantonese opera and its costume culture are facing a dual challenge of talent gap and insufficient value transformation, leading to the risk of no one inheriting this rich cultural tradition. This study takes the Cantonese opera “Di Nv Hua” as a case study, exploring the construction elements of characters, costume culture, and scenes through three dimensions: three-dimensional virtual reconstruction, design practice, and innovative promotion. Employing technical methods such as CLO 3D virtual costume production, Cinema 4D (C4D), Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) modeling, and Touch Designer (TD) interactive design, the study creates virtual Cantonese opera digital characters, showcases virtual Cantonese opera costumes, and simulates interactive scenes. Combined with related digital cultural and creative product design, NFT digital collections, and cultural and creative events, this “real + virtual” dual communication approach promotes dynamic heritage. It aims to attract more young individuals to understand and experience the charm of traditional Cantonese opera and its costume culture, contributing to the inheritance of this intangible cultural project with Lingnan cultural characteristics.