Project Overview
FISH, the Framework for Interactive Simulation of History, is an open framework for digital humanities, quantitative history, and interdisciplinary research. Through AI-driven simulation, this project aims at building a new way of knowing history, not only by reading or observing, but by entering, participating, and choosing.
The current project, entitled “Into the Painting” (入畫·清明上河圖), is an AI-driven open narrative game that reinterprets Zhang Zeduan’s iconic 12th-century scroll, Along the River During the Qingming Festival. It transforms the static artwork into a living simulation of Bianjing (ancient Kaifeng), where players become ordinary pedestrians, merchants, scholars, boatmen, and officials rather than passive spectators.
Built on the FISH (Framework for Interactive Simulation of History) engine, the game populates the scroll with richly characterised individuals whose lives are interconnected through social networks. Every choice triggers a butterfly effect, reshaping the destinies of others across the city. Powered by real-time AI simulation, each session unfolds as a distinct life with limitless narrative outcomes.
Research Outcome
The primary research outcome of the HKU Arts Tech Lab’s Framework for Interactive Simulation of History (FISH) is a pioneering, AI-driven computational engine that transforms digital humanities by turning passive historical observation into active participation. Its flagship application, “Into the Painting” (入畫·清明上河圖), successfully operationalizes this framework by converting an iconic 12th-century scroll into a living, agent-based simulation of ancient Kaifeng. Through this interactive environment, the project introduces a novel methodology that allows both researchers and the public to explore complex social networks, individual behaviors, and the ripple effects of historical contingencies, ultimately creating a dynamic new medium that bridges rigorous academic modeling with immersive public history education.
About the researcher
Yuqi Chen is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed at the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts, The University of Hong Kong. She received both her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Peking University and was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University. She has actively engaged in the fields of Quantitative History and Digital Humanities. Her research focuses on integrating AI and computational methods with humanities research, aiming to uncover new insights through innovative interdisciplinary approaches.
Fund Source:
Seed Fund for Staff (pending)
For inquiries, please contact
atlab@hku.hk
For more information, please refer to the website