As a treasure of world cultural heritage, the Potala Palace has always attracted countless people with its unique architectural style, profound cultural heritage and rich historical and cultural connotations. On February 13, the second season of the documentary "Potala Palace" was screened in Beijing. The documentary was directed by the State Administration of Radio and Television, with the participation of ethnic and religious experts, and was jointly produced by Migu Video Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Tiancheng Jiahua Culture Media Co., Ltd.

The second season of "Potala Palace" poster

It is reported that the second season of "Potala Palace" will be officially launched on Migu Video, Mobile HD and Migu Vision from February 16. In addition, this season will also be launched on Migu's overseas official YouTube channel, Migu's overseas client MiguC and other platforms, showing the history and culture of the Potala Palace and its unique charm to global audiences, and telling the Chinese story to the world. This is also the continuous exploration of new models and new paths for China Mobile Migu's "cultural going global".

Dubbing by Zhao Liying, narrative across time and space

As part of the "Potala Palace" documentary series, the second season, through a cross-time and space narrative of 7 chapters, takes the audience to the mysterious areas of the Potala Palace that have not yet been opened to the public from the aspects of historical buildings, documents and cultural relics, art and humanities, and closely touches the cultural context of this treasure of human civilization. In order to combine the weight of history with the warmth of emotion, the documentary specially invites the well-known actress Zhao Liying to do the dubbing, explore the historical events on the snowy plateau, and tell a vivid story about the creation, inheritance and guarding of national culture.

While visually displaying the full picture of the Potala Palace, the film also pays special attention to the meticulous combing of historical stories and the vivid recording of current stories, bringing this palace closest to the sky back to the human world. The first episode "New Face" released at the screening focuses on the traditional craftsmen who repair and protect the Potala Palace, as well as the thousands of Tibetans who devote themselves to the "Sweet Wall", showing a human Potala Palace that can be touched, felt, approached, and integrated into our lives.

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According to Zhang Shuang, the chief producer of Potala Palace, "If we still used the traditional documentary production model in the first season, we have been more up-to-date since the second season. On this basis, we have added artificial AI special effects, 2D and 3D conversion, special effects rendering, including the comprehensive involvement of high-tech methods such as digital modeling. In addition, we have also joined hands with Migu to create the industry's first model that combines online documentaries with offline VR large-space immersive image exhibitions to bring a new audio-visual experience. We hope to contribute more to the protection, inheritance, promotion and development of Chinese culture and national culture."

"I can reveal a little bit that the third season of the documentary series will continue to cooperate with Migu and be upgraded again, and will be launched on the market this summer. In terms of technical rendering and technical presentation, more new technologies such as XR (Extended Reality) will account for more than 60% of the entire visual effects, which will largely subvert the traditional documentary production model." Zhang Shuang said.

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Polishing the light and shadow poems, using small details to see the big picture and inspire emotional resonance from ancient times to the present

A well-made, artistic, and profound work cannot be separated from the careful polishing of a group of "craftsmen". The second season of "Potala Palace" combines historians, religious experts, and digital engineers to form a cross-border think tank, transforming rigorous academic research into a moving light and shadow poem, and telling the grand theme of the fireworks.

Wang Chongxiao, the chief director and chief writer of the second season, said that the second season will focus more on the humanity of the Potala Palace. Through the continuation of the narratives of small people, the addition of cultural and historical information, the presentation of exclusive content and the use of high technology, the mysterious veil of the Potala Palace will be unveiled to show people a Potala Palace on earth.

"By comprehensively combing through the knowledge points of this palace building, we have extracted the fresh and interesting parts. These knowledge points are either rarely mentioned in previous media reports, or have been mentioned before but not elaborated in detail or from a new perspective."

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"How should the Potala Palace be positioned? Previously, many people thought it was a temple, including in many literary works, which gave it the title of the largest temple in Tibet. But according to the information we have and the analysis of experts, the religious function of the Potala Palace is actually ranked behind. When UNESCO rated the Potala Palace as a World Cultural Heritage, it positioned it as a 'palace-fortress building', with 'palace' being the palace of palace, and 'fortress' being the fort of castle and fortress."

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"As a palace building, the original motivation for the construction of the Potala Palace was actually its military defense function. Secondly, it also has many functions for handling government affairs, and its religious function is ranked behind these. When we see Tibetan people coming to Lhasa today, they travel long distances to worship Buddha, and their first choice is also the Jokhang Temple. Or they go to Ganden Monastery, Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery, the so-called three major temples in Tibet. So this time in the film we will have a new positioning of the Potala Palace. It is a museum that condenses and gathers Tibetan civilization. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is the largest "museum" in Tibet. At the same time, as a world cultural heritage, it is also an irreplaceable permanent building. We hope to make various efforts to vividly and meticulously present to the current audience the Tibetan civilization condensed in the Potala Palace, which is unique in human history." Wang Chongxiao said.

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It is worth mentioning that the "Wishes Journey: Documentary "Potala Palace" VR Large-Space Immersive Image Exhibition", based on the documentary, guided by the China Cultural Relics Exchange Center, and jointly produced by China Mobile Migu Company and Tiancheng Jiahua, also opened in Beijing on December 28, 2024.

Wearing VR equipment, the audience can immerse themselves in the 500-square-meter space for nearly 40 minutes, freely "wandering" in representative scenes such as the Four Heavenly Kings Hall, Deyangxia, Red Palace Corridor, West Hall, Maitreya Buddha Hall, etc., and feel the new encounter between culture, nature and soul. As the world's first VR large-space immersive exhibition with the theme of the Potala Palace, "Potala Palace·Wish Together" deeply integrates high-level digital technology with high-value artistic presentation, attracting many audiences to come and check in and experience, and "immerse" themselves in the mysterious palace of the Potala Palace.