WELCOME TO VSMM'06
Oct. 18-20, 2006, Xi'an, China

The 12th VSMM conference is hosted this year in the magnificent cultural city of Xi’an, China, known for the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, which are praised as "the eighth major wonder of the world”.

This is the first time that VSMM is sited in China. VSMM 2006 will bring experts from five continents to give presentations, exchange information and learn about the latest developments in the field of virtual systems and multimedia by focusing on their applications in Heritage, Games, Robotics, and the Arts.

VSMM2006, Xi’an, will also present an exciting lineup of plenary sessions, invited talks, tutorials, panels, poster sessions, workshops, visits and an innovative technology exhibition.

As President of VSMM, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you all to join us in a most fascinating location as we once again explore and exchange in an atmosphere steeped in culture and history.

My warmest wishes and see you in Xi'an! Professor Hal Thwaites, President VSMM

An Introduction of Xi'an

As "the Cradle of Chinese Nationality", Xi’an is one of the prehistoric culture centers in Asia. It’s not only the birthplace of Chinese Nationality, but also a city with a long history about 3,100 years where 13 ancient dynasties built their capitals. As the starting point of the "Silk Road", Xi'an served as an important pivot and center in ancient foreign economy and culture exchange. The Tang dynasty reached the peak of feudalism, when Xi’an was named Chang’an as one of the biggest and most famous cities in the world. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.

Now, Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the GuanZhong Plain. Xi’an is not only the geographical center of China but also the place reporting the Beijing Time. With the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Weihe River to the south, it is in a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills. It has become one of the top tourist cities of China. Besides of that, Xi’an has been greatly developed to be a prosperous city with many universities and high technical industries.

The cultural and historical significance of the area, as well as the abundant relics and sites, help Xi’an enjoy the laudatory title of "Natural History Museum". The Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is praised as "the eighth major miracle of the world", Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world. In the city, there is the 3000 year old Banpo Village Remains from the Neolithic Age, and the Forest of Stone Steles that holds 3,000 stone steles of different periods from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Around Xi'an, the Famen Temple enjoys the reputation of being the "forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi," because it holds the finger bones of Sakyamuni--the founder of Buddhism. The natural landscape around Xian is also marvelous. Mt. Huashan, as one of the five best-known mountains in China, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and its unique characteristics. (Cited from the website of www.travelchinaguide.com)

Xi’an is praised as “the capital of table delicacies”, serving delicious Shaanxi local food, Guangdong Cuisine, popular Sichuan Cuisine such as the hot pot, wonderful Hunan food and also many kinds of fashionable foreign delicacies. If you come to Xi’an for the first time and want to eat some characteristic food, the Muslim Snack Street is the right place. It’s one of the most attractive place to both Chinese and foreign people.

There is a widely spread saying:” You haven’t been to Xi’an equals that you have never been to China”. So welcome to Xi’an, the very attractive city of China.