Old tales told anew

Digitized images from the new smartphone app, Night Revels of Han Xizai.

Many interactive designs have also been applied to making the app. Explanations on voice, for instance, are recorded in both Mandarin and English.

When clicked, the dancers from the painting will be replaced by present-day dancers performing shows from that dynasty. The performance was presented by Taipei Han Tang Yuefu Ensemble, a troupe devoted to the restoration of the rituals surrounding ancient music, based on archaeological findings.

Oscar-winning Hong Kong costume designer Tim Yip is among the app's art counselors.

"Nowadays people always stare at their smartphone screens ... they watch videos or play games," Yu says. "Why can't we make them watch something more elegant, and play something more artistic?"

He adds that the app was made from 900 gigabyte of data, collected for more than two years.

The Palace Museum, also a former Chinese royal palace from 1420 to 1911, first opened as a public museum in 1925. It is the country's largest museum by the number of collections.

"Night Revels of Han Xizai (the painting) is a realistic masterpiece in Chinese painting history," says Yu Hui, a traditional Chinese painting scholar from the museum.

"The work provides abundant information on art, society and customs of the time. However, it's a pity that the opportunity for visitors (at the museum) to see it is rare, due to preservation demands," he says of the need for the app.