"It's incredible—I'm setting off fireworks in the Song Dynasty!" exclaimed Ermakov Denis, an international student at Nanjing University of Science and Technology, his face lighting up as he stood in the digital exhibition hall of the Deji Art Museum in Nanjing.

With a tap on his tablet, his digital avatar sent colorful sparks across the screen of An Era in Jinling. For Denis, this wasn't just another trip to Nanjing; it was his first time stepping inside the city's Song Dynasty past.

With summer vacation underway, Denis and his Russian fellow, Karina, made a special trip to experience the An Era in Jinling digital exhibition. The original masterpiece is a 1794 replica by Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) painter Feng Ning of a Song Dynasty long scroll, which depicts over 500 characters, 90 animals, and 40 shops in exquisite detail. Today, it has been awakened by digital technology, transforming into a 110-meter-long, dynamic light-and-shadow spectacle.

Denis first arrived in Nanjing in 2024 after living in various cities across Jiangsu province. To him, Nanjing's unique charm lies in how it preserves traditional culture while blending it seamlessly with modern technology.

Karina, who arrived in 2025, used her city travel pass to explore major museums, a shortcut for her to understand a city. Yet, this immersive digital experience completely reshaped her perception of traditional exhibitions. What began as a casual afternoon of sightseeing turned into a deep dive into the daily life of ancient Nanjing.