Timelooper and Hong Kong Tourism Board create new virtual reality time travel experience

VR recreates scenes from the 1960s and 1980s and enables visitors to ‘step into’ the historical settings of Hong Kong and explore the old days of the city

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has created a new virtual reality experience that takes users back in time.

The new promotion is a partnership with sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck (sky100) and virtual reality specialist TimeLooper.

VR Time Travel: Step into Old Hong Kong recreates scenes from the 1960s and 1980s and enables visitors to ‘step into’ the historical settings of Hong Kong and explore the old days of the city.

The newly released trailer of the experience starts on Hollywood Road outside Man Mo temple. Depicting a scene from the 1960s, two kung fu fighters battle in front of a growing crowd of street food vendors, shop keepers and a rickshaw driver.

The video then pans across to Kai Tak International Airport, which closed in 1998, and was famed for the dramatic landing close to residential buildings.

Moving forward to the 1980s, the video pans across the rooftop of a residential building as a plane comes into land at the airport and a mother and son are seen playing.

HKTB executive director Anthony Lau said: “We are delighted to collaborate with sky100 and the internationally recognised leader in immersive experience design, TimeLooper, to offer visitors a spectacular experience, in which they can enjoy the stunning scenery of Victoria Harbour and views of different districts and landmarks, while immersing themselves in classic, memorable scenes of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon Peninsula to get a taste of everyday life in old Hong Kong.”

Sky100 is Hong Kong’s highest observation deck located on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon offerings panoramic views across Victoria Harbour.