Watch: Beijing of 100 Years Ago Comes to Life in Full Color

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Video of Beijing from more than 100 years ago began trending on social media recently, but not just because of the footage's centennial birthday. Rather, it was because the footage had been remastered and colorized, presenting Old Beijing as it’s never been seen before.

The images provide incredible insights into daily life over 100 years ago

The original film, shot by a Canadian photographer in the early 20th century, resurfaced online when it was posted by People’s Daily four years ago, claiming that the footage was captured between 1920-1929. However, writer, history teacher, Beijing by Foot tour guide, and long-time the Beijinger contributor Jeremiah Jenne says the presence of "queue" hair locks suggests that the footage must predate 1912, when the Qing dynasty hairstyle was banned by the new republican government.
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Regardless of the exact date, thanks to the effort of Weibo user 大谷Spitzer, you can relive Beijing of long ago in full color – although the colors you see might not be true to history.

Two men bow to greet each other

As Spitzer said in an interview with China News, colorization is traditionally a painstaking process, especially for video because it has to be done frame-by-frame (as Peter Jackson recently undertook with incredible results in his World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old). However, using an open-source artificial intelligence (AI) program called DeOldify, he was able to add color much more efficiently. Spitzer admits that the colors may not be true to the hues of yore, but with the input of artists familiar with historical Chinese culture, he was able to make an educated guess about the colors.

In addition, Spitzer used an AI blockchain program called DAIN for frame repair and another called ESERGAN to enhance resolution (and you thought those scenes from CSI were unrealistic!). After adding a few sounds that reflect the folk culture of the time, the restoration was complete. You can view the full video below (VPN off):
Spitzer said that with developments in open source AI programs, such projects can be as simple as a few keystrokes, and his hope is that the video will inspire others to undertake similar projects. He added that, while the programs are not yet perfect, “All of the shortcomings of AI will eventually be overcome with endless training.”

Images: 大谷Spitzer (via Bilibili)

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