Yangzhou, a living museum of classical Chinese gardens, has witnessed countless horticultural masterpieces rise and vanish across dynasties. While some survive as protected relics, others exist only in fading records—until now.  

A Yangzhou University team has achieved the impossible: digitally resurrecting the 17th-century "Ying Garden" through precise 3D modeling. Originally designed by legendary landscaper Ji Cheng for Ming painter Zheng Yuanxun, the garden was lost to war and time, leaving only foundation fragments.  

The team spent eight months—mirroring the original construction period—scouring historical texts and studying the site to capture every architectural detail. "This wasn't just modeling," explained a student. "We were time travelers, walking with Ji Cheng's soul through each virtual corridor."  

More than a technical feat, their work pioneers a bold new frontier in cultural preservation, proving that even history's vanished treasures can bloom again in the digital age.