All-optical pulse injection, empowering the digitization of five thousand years of civilization

Strolling through the Qing Dynasty government office with its grey tiles and blue bricks, the phone signal is full bars, where history and reality converge in an invisible network. The Zhili Governor's Office, an ancient building that "mirrors half of Qing history," is ushering in a quiet digital rebirth.

On Yuhua Road in Baoding, a magnificent Qing Dynasty government office stands quietly. This is the Zhili Governor's Office, the most well-preserved provincial-level government office of the Qing Dynasty in China.

Built in the Yuan Dynasty, it has witnessed the reigns of eight emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with 74 governors having once presided over this place. Upon entering, one finds a series of five-in-four courtyards unfolding along the central axis, including the main hall, secondary hall, official residence, and upper room, each bearing witness to the vicissitudes of history.

"Inherent demand for networking" in the 300-year-old ancient government office

The Zhili Viceroy's Office is not only a historical witness, but also a window for modern tourists to touch history. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists come here for its fame.

They strolled through the Yimen Courtyard, gazing up at the "Gongshengming" memorial archway; they paused in the grand hall where Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang once conducted government affairs; and they shuttled among the multi-entry courtyards of the East, Middle, and West Routes.

With the full arrival of the mobile internet era, tourists' needs have long gone beyond mere visits. They need to instantly share the awe they witness - posting photos of ancient buildings on social media, demonstrating historical scenes through video calls with family, and supplementing their visit experience by consulting relevant historical materials online.

The cultural and creative shops located within the Governor's Office also face challenges. When tourists take an interest in an exquisite cultural and creative product and habitually scan the QR code for payment, the transaction may fail due to poor network connectivity. The shops themselves require stable network support for modern business operations such as inventory management and sales statistics.

However, achieving wireless network coverage in this ancient architectural complex covering an area of 30,000 square meters is by no means an easy task.

The dual challenge of cultural relic protection and complex layout

The installation of wireless network in this national key cultural relic protection unit faces a series of unique challenges.

The primary principle is protective installation. No construction should cause damage to the ancient building itself, nor should drilling and punching damage the original structure, let alone affect the historical style and cultural relic value of the building.

The architectural layout of the Governor's Office is complex, featuring a five-entry quadrangle in the central road, coupled with multiple courtyards on the east and west roads, creating a large number of enclosed spaces and thick walls. Traditional wireless deployment solutions are difficult to achieve comprehensive coverage here.

Meanwhile, network equipment must be installed inconspicuously. Visitors should not see any traces of modern technology during their visit, as this would ruin the historical atmosphere. The appearance of the equipment also needs to be coordinated with the style of ancient architecture.

The network quality requirements are extremely high. During peak tourist periods, the system needs to support stable connections for hundreds of devices simultaneously; the electronic payment system in cultural and creative stores has almost stringent requirements for network stability.

How to strike a balance between historical preservation and modern needs in this Qing Dynasty provincial government office? The solution requires a consideration of cultural relic protection, aesthetic requirements, and technical performance.

AINOPOL's all-optical solution:

making signals "invisible" and seamlessly integrated into ancient buildings

After thorough planning and multiple on-site surveys, a carefully designed network deployment plan was finally formulated.

The solution centers around the ZH-4ES ULTRA OLT equipment on the equipment room side, utilizing the industry-leading PON (Passive Optical Network) architecture to replace the traditional copper cables and switch stacking mode. The PON network boasts long transmission distances, high bandwidth, and strong anti-interference capabilities, perfectly matching the real-world environment of ancient architectural complexes, which are widely distributed, have thick walls, and face numerous restrictions on cabling.

On this basis, AINOPOL technology is integrated. The signal originates from the equipment room 0LT, is centrally powered by an active optical splitter, and is routed to the optical AP terminals in each courtyard through the hybrid fiber-coaxial cable. The fiber optic backbone network, akin to the "central nervous system" of the human body, delivers gigabit-level network signals to every corner without loss.

In terms of specific equipment installation, the team chose the ZH-AP30006S ceiling-mounted AP and innovatively adopted wall-mounted installation beneath the eaves of various courtyards. This ingenious arrangement not only ensures the concealment of the equipment but also fully utilizes the characteristics of the building structure.

Sixteen wireless access points are scientifically distributed in key locations of the Governor's Office: from the main gate to the Yimen Courtyard, from the lobby courtyard to the second courtyard, and further to the deep residential courtyard and the upper courtyard. Signal coverage is achieved in every tourist gathering area.

The network design fully considers the characteristics of ancient buildings. All equipment adopts a beige shell that matches the color tone of the building, and the installation locations are carefully chosen to be below the eaves where tourists are less likely to directly see them. This not only ensures signal coverage but also preserves the historical appearance of the building to the greatest extent.

Roam without a hitch! Ancient Yamen unlocks digital experience

After the implementation of the project, the network environment of the Zhili Viceroy's Office has undergone a complete transformation.

Nowadays, tourists can instantly share their visiting impressions under the Gongshengming Memorial Archway. As they move to the courtyard of the lobby and use video chat to show their family members the "Zeng Guofan Office", the image remains clear and smooth. Throughout the entire visiting route, whether they stop to listen or move through multiple courtyards, the network connection seamlessly switches automatically in the background, allowing tourists to access the internet and look up historical backgrounds anytime and anywhere, subtly enhancing the interactivity and educational value of the visit.

The operation of cultural and creative stores has undergone a digital transformation due to network upgrades. In addition to stable and efficient electronic payment and inventory management, the innovative Portal authentication page has become a new interactive window: while visitors are conveniently connected to the internet, they can intuitively receive product recommendations, promotional information, and cultural stories, effectively stimulating their interest in purchasing. The store owner commented, "The network is not only faster, but it has also become 'smarter'. The Portal page is like an invisible shopping guide, significantly enhancing the shopping experience and operational efficiency.". ”

Most importantly, all these changes have been achieved without affecting the original appearance of the ancient buildings in any way. If not specifically pointed out, tourists would hardly notice the network equipment cleverly concealed under the eaves.

After the completion of the project, a joint inspection team consisting of cultural relics protection experts and network technology experts conducted a comprehensive evaluation. The expert team unanimously agreed that the plan fully respected and protected the historical value of the cultural relics while ensuring network performance, achieving the expected goals of "concealment, aesthetics, and practicality".

As the sun sets, the last ray of light sweeps across the grey tiles and blue bricks of the Zhili Governor's Office, and tourists gradually depart. The photos and videos saved in their mobile phones have become part of the new memory of this 300-year-old ancient government office.

Signals silently flow between the beams and pillars of ancient buildings, where modern technology and traditional history have reached a tacit understanding. Every corner of the Zhili Governor's Office can now "online" tell its story to the world.