Three-dimensional Digital Documentation and Accuracy Analysis of the Choijin Lama Temple in Mongolia

Abstract

The Choijin Lama Temple is a representative example of 19th- to 20th-century architecture. The temple has been damaged by various development pressures and the effect of a harsh continental climate. This study digitalized the entire temple site using three-dimensional scanning to establish the basic data of conservational management and monitoring for spatial changes. A terrestrial laser scanning model of the temple was completed, which showed low registering error vectors (3.73 mm average) and dense point distances. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry was also applied to verify its applicability to the spatial and environmental monitoring of the temple. The results showed that the overall point density of the UAV photogrammetry model is similar within a 10 mm resolution. The relatively low RMSE of UAV photogrammetry from the ground to the uppermost roof indicates the high applicability of integrating it with the terrestrial laser scanning model. The digital documentation of the Choijin Lama Temple is expected to have a great ripple effect on the documentation, conservation, and utilization of Mongolian cultural heritage sites.