Hue Monuments Conservation Center receives Vietnam Digital Transformation Award 2025. Photo: TTDT

Identified artifacts

Recently, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center (abbreviated as the Center) was honored at the Vietnam Digital Awards (VDA) 2025 in the category of "Outstanding digital transformation enterprise and public service unit". The awarded solution "Digital identification and exhibition of Nguyen Dynasty antiquities" is not only a technical step forward, but also opens up a completely new approach in heritage conservation.

Previously, in 2024, the Center was awarded the VDA for its digital technology application solution in preserving and promoting the value of Hue's cultural heritage. Continuing to be honored for the second consecutive year shows the sustainable direction of the ancient capital of Hue in the process of digital transformation of heritage.

Mr. Vo Quang Huy, Deputy Chief of the Center's Office, said that the digital identification solution helps each antique have a unique ID code, managed based on 3D digitized data and stored on the blockchain platform to ensure authenticity, transparency and anti-counterfeiting.

“From 10 pilot artifacts in 2024, we have now expanded to 98 more artifacts, displayed in 10 digital exhibition rooms. In the future, we aim to charge a fee to enrich information about related artifacts. Instead of visiting directly, users can access digital exhibitions at museehue.vn, and at the same time develop a digital artifact transaction model (F1) based on the original that has been identified,” Mr. Huy informed.

In particular, the People's Committee of Hue City has approved a plan to identify nearly 1,000 artifacts in the 2025 - 2027 period, aiming to form a comprehensive digital heritage ecosystem - one of Hue's important digital transformation goals.

Not only displayed in visual form, the artifacts are brought into the VR/AR and metaverse environments. Viewers can “step into” the exhibition space, rotate, interact and learn about every detail of the artifacts, which is sometimes difficult to access even when visiting directly.

“We hope that each antique will not just be in a warehouse or behind a glass cabinet, but will truly come alive in a digital space, so that the public anywhere can access it,” said Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of the Center.

From core technology to digital experience

The solution is built with modern technology infrastructure: data stored on cloud computing platform, blockchain security system, RFID/NFC chip attached directly to the relic, high-quality 3D model and glTF data compression technology, Draco helps optimize capacity while still ensuring sharpness. Blockchain technology combined with NFC creates a "one-to-one" connection between the real version and the digital version (NFT). This ensures uniqueness, easy traceability and protection of intellectual property rights of the heritage.

3D digitization helps to recreate artifacts with high detail, from the smallest carvings on thrones, palanquins to wood, metal or precious gems. From there, digital exhibitions are built into virtual galleries, allowing viewers to interact as if they were standing in the middle of the museum.

In particular, the open data system helps researchers, schools, tour guides or tourism businesses to use information on antiquities for education and promotion purposes.

According to experts, converting antiquities into digital assets (NFT) does not only stop at preservation, but also opens up a direction for cultural economic development. F1 digital entities have a clear origin from real antiquities (F0), are certified by specialized agencies, creating conditions for the formation of a transparent digital asset market, serving collection, research, education or content creation.

From the system of identifying antiques, the Center has begun to build a "digital market" of cultural products, typically the "Emperor's Archaeological Records" set in the form of a blind box - a model combining culture and creative economy.

“We expect the digital heritage ecosystem to create a new value chain: from exhibition, education, data exploitation, to creative products and digital economy,” said Mr. Trung.

For the first time in Vietnam, an antiquities management unit has simultaneously applied NFC chips, blockchain, 3D scanning and VR/AR exhibitions to identify and display antiquities. This not only helps preserve heritage in a more modern and secure way, but also makes Hue a pioneer in digital transformation of cultural heritage.

“Previously, the preservation and management of antiquities was mainly based on paper records, fragmented data and direct exhibition, limited by museum space and opening hours. Now, heritage can be present simultaneously in two “worlds”: physical and digital,” Mr. Trung informed.

From pioneering steps in digital transformation, Hue is opening a new path for heritage: not only to be preserved, but also to be "revived", to reach deeper into the community and to integrate into the global digital cultural network.

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Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/di-san-buoc-vao-doi-song-so-160145.html