Rising technologies help bring back fallen stars

For millions of Chinese, the last night of 2021 was unforgettable. Legendary singer Deng Lijun (1953-95), also known as Teresa Teng, made a surprise comeback in a spectacular way for a New Year's Eve concert presented by Jiangsu TV.

It was quite a feat, considering that Teng died in 1995. The life-size virtual figure Teng, with her trademark sweet smile, sang three songs, including her signature tunes and a recent song with Zhou Shen, a popular 30-year-old Chinese singer.

Though it was not the first time that Teng had appeared on stage as a digital human, commentators said millions of online viewers were said to have been taken aback by the jaw-dropping realism of her image.