Unlocking cultural "gold mines"

The cultural industry is expected to become a new growth engine for Vietnam in the digital age. However, what worries many experts...

In the digital age, cultural identity needs to be connected to technology, transformed into data, and recreated in innovative products that resonate with the public. Photo: Le Minh

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism, believes that Vietnam possesses many advantages for developing its cultural industry, from abundant cultural resources to a strong digital transformation process. However, according to Dr. Phuong, while we are ready, we have not yet truly created the impetus for the development of the cultural industry.

This assessment partly reflects the current state of Vietnam's cultural industry. We have heritage, identity, and unique cultural elements built up over generations, but the transformation of these values ​​into creative products is still not commensurate with their potential. Meanwhile, the development of technology is opening up a new approach, where culture is not only preserved but can also be recreated and disseminated through more modern methods.

Digitization is not simply about storing documents in an electronic environment. More importantly, it is the process of transforming cultural values ​​into data sources that can be connected, shared, and exploited. When heritage is digitized, when historical and cultural resources are standardized, they can become raw materials for film, tourism , publishing, games, animation, and many other creative fields.

Many creative industries today require a sufficiently large and reliable cultural data platform. Tourism needs data to build in-depth experiences instead of just selling destinations. Film, games, and animation need authentic sources of information to develop products with unique characteristics. Data, therefore, is not just a storage tool but is gradually becoming the infrastructure of the creative economy .

However, technology is not the only solution. Behind the data story lies the issue of how we perceive and invest in culture. Director Nguyen Quang Dung argues that the cultural industry needs to be viewed differently from traditional economic sectors because "investing in culture is not a field that can generate immediate profits." The value of culture cannot often be measured by immediate revenue but is reflected in the national image, tourism attractiveness, national brand, and soft power in the long term.

For Vietnam, the most important foundation remains cultural identity. However, identity will hardly become a strength if it is merely preserved. In the digital age, identity needs to be connected with technology, transformed into data, and recreated in creative products that meet the needs of today's public. Only when cultural values ​​are integrated into the flow of contemporary life in new forms can they continue to live, continue to spread, and create value.

Vietnam's cultural "gold mines" have long been present in its heritage, history, and community life. To unlock these resources, more than just affirmations of potential are needed. What is essential is an ecosystem open enough for data to be connected, creativity to be encouraged, and Vietnamese identity to become the foundation for competitive cultural products. Only then can the cultural industry truly become a new driving force for the country's development.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/danh-thuc-nhung-mo-vang-van-hoa.htm