Digital Dong: Heritage assessment, reality capturing and 3D modelling

This original paper presents the digital documentation and reconstruction of the endangered drum tower building and its contemporary surroundings in Dong villages of peripheral mountains of southwestern China. The research methods adopted a series of digital techniques, including 3D terrestrial LiDAR scanning, aerial and close-range photography and photogrammetry, alongside conventional humanities methods such as ethnographic observation and oral histories with local carpenters and communities. Much as an unknown construction heritage from outside Dong and a heavily used everyday space inside Dong, the drum tower has met severe threats from human and wild fires, natural decay due to material degradation and climate change, as well as urbanisation and modern tourism. Hence a timely and thoroughly digital assessment, analysis, and documentation of the historic structures is a necessity, which will serve as an evidence base for subsequent conservation, maintenance and repair interventions. The paper will present latest case studies highlighting the above workflow from on-site assessment to surveying, reality capturing and 3D digital modelling. This paper is part of the results from the EWAP Large Grant ‘Decoding Dong: Documentation of Dong Minority Villages’ Drum Tower and Wooden Heritage’, funded by Arcadia (EWAP2039LG, 2023-2025).