Marco Polo VR in Venice: the immersive experience hosted by the Veneto Region at the Film Festival

Seven hundred years after Marco Polo's death, his journey sets off from Venice once again, this time in virtual reality. At the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, WAY Experience was a guest of the Veneto Region to present Marco Polo VR, the immersive experience that turns the explorer's story into a virtual bridge between East and West.

The meeting was held in the Veneto Region's space at the Hotel Excelsior, on the Lido, as part of the initiatives dedicated to "Marco Polo 700". Among those who discussed the project were Roberto Ciambetti, President of the Veneto Regional Council, and Massimo Ambrosetti, Italian Ambassador to China. Pierfrancesco Jelmoni, for WAY Experience, explained how the experience can become a tool for cultural and tourism promotion, able to showcase Venetian heritage and dialogue with China.

An immersive journey in four stages

Marco Polo VR lasts about 19 minutes and takes whoever wears the headset through four chapters:

• Departure: Venice and Marco Polo's house, amid trade and the adventure of the sea
• On the road: the extreme landscapes of the Silk Road, from the Dasht-e Lut desert to the Himalayan peaks, all the way to the Taklamakan and the ancient silk mills
• China: the arrival at the court of Kublai Khan, among vivid markets and displays of light
• The return home: the return to Venice, where Marco Polo recounts "Il Milione" and leaves his legacy

From Beijing to Venice

First presented in July 2024 at the China World Art Museum in Beijing, in the year of the seventh centenary, the project then continued its tour across China, from Chengdu to Hangzhou, before arriving at the Lido. A journey that weaves together travel literature and technology, made possible in part through the collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

All the details of the experience are on the page dedicated to Marco Polo VR.