Digitizing all architecture and artifacts at My Son heritage site

Digitizing all architecture and artifacts at My Son heritage - photo 1 — Specialized units at My Son Management Board conduct inventory, digitize and 3D scan the entire relic and some typical artifacts.

The My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board (My Son Management Board) said that the unit is conducting 3D digital scanning of the entire temple and tower complex and some typical artifacts at the relic site to serve the management and promotion of heritage values, combined with promoting the My Son cultural heritage.

In addition to focusing on the task of establishing a plan for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of the special national relic My Son Temple Complex until 2035, with a vision to 2050, the digitization of relics and artifacts is also one of the key tasks that the My Son Management Board will focus on implementing. According to the plan, from now until the end of 2025, all relics and architectural ruins will be digitized; at the same time, 200 typical artifacts will be selected for digitization.

My Son is a large cultural and architectural work, currently has 60 architectural ruins and three architectural traces along with 2,278 artifacts. However, due to war, natural disasters, time, the towers were affected and destroyed; some antiquities and national treasures were eroded and destroyed over time.

The implementation of 3D digital scanning of the entire current state of My Son Sanctuary, including temples, towers, antiquities, and national treasures, to serve the work of data storage, promotion, and restoration has been seriously affected over the years. The current state of tower groups A, B, C, D, G… has a number of items that are devastated and no longer intact.

To optimize storage and preservation, proposing a solution to store tower models with 3D scanning technology, and at the same time putting the models on a website platform to widely promote 3D images to many audiences is a direction.

Each tower, antique, and treasure of My Son will be scanned using 3D laser scanning technology, providing the most accurate information, from the structure, architecture, materials, and actual size of the tower. After scanning, the actual scan file will be used to create a basic model file. After the processing stage, a complete 3D model will be obtained. This 3D file will be the data storage base for rebuilding and restoring the construction, antiques, and treasures if an incident occurs without the need for old documents.

All 3D files will be stored on a separate system with a strong enough configuration, optimized for data storage and management. By changing the way data is managed and stored, the beauty of My Son will be preserved forever. In addition, the promotional solution through a website integrating 3D models will help visitors increase their experience, create diversity in use, and help attract more users' attention.

Digitizing all architecture and artifacts at My Son heritage - photo 2 — Specialized units at My Son Management Board conduct inventory, digitize and 3D scan the entire relic and some typical artifacts.

My Son Management Board is one of the few pioneering units in building a database to manage Cham artifacts in Quang Nam (formerly). Since 2003, the digitization process has begun by inventorying and numbering all artifacts at My Son relics and entering data into the computer for monitoring. In 2006, My Son Management Board conducted an inventory, description, photocopies, 3D scans, and digitized many archaeological artifacts excavated at the relics, storing them in a specialized software system provided by the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).

In addition, some temple architectures have also been digitized through sponsorship projects. However, due to the long time, some software is old, so it is necessary to digitize and update with a new, better specialized technology system, especially with some typical artifacts to promote the value of artifacts and relics to visitors conveniently and effectively.

In 2018, with the help of experts from Italy and India, My Son Management Board completed the digitization of more than 1,000 ancient artifacts found during the excavation and restoration of tower groups G, K and H.

Accordingly, the coding of each artifact such as ancient statues, ancient bricks and tiles and many artifacts in the construction material structure discovered during the restoration of ancient towers is carried out to store in computer devices in digital form. This number is constantly being supplemented through excavation projects, conservation of My Son tower groups, artifacts from Sa Huynh Culture Museum, etc.

The 3D digital scanning of temple architecture, documents and artifacts related to cultural heritage not only helps to archive, preserve and promote the value of My Son cultural heritage more effectively and professionally, but is also in line with current trends.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, Deputy Director of My Son Management Board, the digitization of artifacts and relics is identified by the unit as an urgent and inevitable requirement today and is one of the key tasks set from now until the end of 2026. Thereby, it aims to store unlimited data, thereby providing the most accurate and convenient documents when needed. Digital transformation based on technology platforms will help the management and promotion of the value of artifacts and relics become convenient and effective.

In addition, the unit will also carry out some key contents in digital transformation work such as: Deploying AI camera system to monitor relics. Deploying IP audio system in each tower area and walkways.

Setting up an IP audio system at each tower cluster and main sightseeing route helps provide information about the relic. At the same time, the system also effectively serves the propaganda work of rules and regulations for visiting, contributing to raising community awareness in preserving and protecting heritage.

It is known that recently, My Son Management Board has also implemented and applied digital technology to promote and introduce the value of My Son to tourists and the community.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/so-hoa-toan-bo-kien-truc-hien-vat-tai-di-san-my-son-185344.html