Giving heritage a "new life".
Amidst the widespread digital transformation across many sectors, numerous cultural heritage sites in Hanoi 's communes and wards are also beginning to experience a "new life" in the digital environment. Paper records, manually archived documents, and oral traditions have been and will gradually be replaced by electronic databases, 3D images, QR codes, and online platforms.
Ba Dinh is considered one of the localities that has implemented the digitization of heritage sites in a synchronized manner, linking preservation with the promotion of cultural values. The ward has launched a "Digital Map of Heritage Sites," integrated into the My BaDinh application. The system allows users to search for information on heritage sites, locate destinations, listen to automatic explanations, explore 360-degree virtual reality spaces, and access suggested itineraries for exploring heritage sites. Not stopping at digitizing documents, the ward is also implementing a project to digitize culinary heritage, building a digital database of characteristic dishes, attaching QR codes to introduce the origins of dishes, aiming to connect culture with tourism and the creative industry.
The People's Committee of Chuyen My commune has just issued Plan No. 235/KH-UBND to implement the digitization of relics and intangible cultural heritage in 2026. According to this plan, the commune will review all 4 national-level relics, 10 city-level relics, and 71 relics in the inventory to build digital files, update images, documentary films, scanned data, and QR codes for information retrieval. The locality will also orient the application of AR/VR (augmented reality/virtual reality) technology, build 3D models and digital maps for typical relics. The digitization process will not only focus on tangible relics but also extend to intangible heritage. All 26 traditional festivals, 5 traditional crafts, and the "pulling the mine" game of Ngai Khe village will also be inventoried, recorded, and digitally stored to minimize the risk of their disappearance.
In Binh Minh commune, the digitization of heritage sites is also being prepared by the commune's Culture and Social Affairs Department. According to Nguyen Thi Thuy Trinh, a specialist at the Binh Minh commune's Culture and Social Affairs Department, previously, the archiving of historical sites mainly followed traditional methods. Currently, the commune is developing a long-term plan for the period 2026-2030 with the goal of digitizing all historical sites in the area. To avoid overlapping implementation or having to start over, the locality is focusing on completing the foundational steps, such as: reviewing, inventorying, gathering documents, and standardizing content before implementing technological solutions comprehensively.
Thanh Tri commune has also developed a plan and roadmap for digitizing historical relics in the area. Thanh Tri has chosen a direction that suits the local reality: prioritizing the preservation of the cultural memories of the homeland, and supporting people and the younger generation in accessing local history through modern forms.
A common feature in many communes and wards across Hanoi today is that digitalization is not being implemented spontaneously, but rather is being systematically prepared, from building a database, inventorying heritage, standardizing information to developing a roadmap for technology and human resource investment. However, the biggest challenge remains the lack of investment resources and a suitable professional workforce.
Improving the effectiveness of heritage management and promotion.
According to Nguyen Thanh Tung, Deputy Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Ba Dinh Ward, digitizing historical sites and heritage helps people access them more easily, while also improving the efficiency of management and promotion of heritage. Digitization will be effective when implemented synchronously, linking preservation with experience, and data with the exploitation of cultural values. This is also a valuable lesson for other communes and wards to learn from in the process of digitalizing their heritage.
Hanoi currently possesses nearly 10,000 heritage sites of various types. In this context, digitalization is no longer an option but a necessity for preserving and promoting cultural values. According to Pham Thi Lan Anh, Head of the Heritage Management Department of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, the city's long-term goal is to digitize 100% of its heritage sites. However, given the enormous number, implementation requires a clear roadmap and priorities, especially for intangible heritage at risk of disappearing and the most representative heritage sites of the capital. “Digitization is not simply about data storage, but also opens up the possibility of creating new cultural products in the fields of visual arts, performing arts, or cultural tourism. Then, heritage will not only be a memory of the past but can become an economic resource for the present,” Ms. Pham Thi Lan Anh shared.
Nguyen The Son, a lecturer at the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), also believes that heritage can absolutely become an economic resource if placed in a digital environment. In many countries such as South Korea and China, digital technology has created new cultural experiences, especially in the fields of museums and multimedia art.
In reality, in many communes and wards in Hanoi, the digitization of heritage is creating a shift in conservation thinking: from preservation to dissemination, from conservation to exploitation of value. When technology is effectively connected with culture and creativity, heritage will no longer remain dormant in archives but will become a new resource for the development of the capital city.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/so-hoa-di-san-tai-ha-noi-dua-ky-uc-van-hoa-thanh-nguon-luc-phat-trien-815028.html
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