Digitalization in preserving and promoting heritage values

In recent years, digital transformation has brought many positive results in preserving and promoting heritage values, including festival activities. Many localities have applied 3D Mapping virtual interaction to festival programs, helping to bring new features and attract the public. However, from here, some problems have also arisen, with the risk of distorting the preservation and promotion of festival values ​​or giving rise to negative manifestations such as superstition, illegal profiteering, etc.

Digitizing heritage and festivals is a contribution to concretizing the general policy of building an advanced culture imbued with national identity of the Party and State. This is even more practical in the context of the whole country actively implementing Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.

Digitalization brings many advantages in preservation work, first of all in terms of data. Previously, the system of rituals, taboos, customs, and folk games in festivals were mainly passed down orally from generation to generation, then gradually converted into documents with images. However, with the development of technology, festival documents are recorded in many forms. This is the most sustainable basis for preserving and promoting festival values.

Vietnam has about 8,100 traditional festivals. In 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 2139/QDBVHTTDL approving the Project on Digitizing Festival Data in Vietnam for the period 2021-2025. Accordingly, many localities have proactively digitized their local festivals, combined with digitizing relics.

Digital data is created with QR codes so that people can access information about relics and festivals conveniently and effectively serve the work of looking up documents, promoting and introducing traditional cultural values. Some localities also create separate websites about typical festivals.

This contributes significantly to the management and prevention of incorrect practices of heritage. In the promotion work, information about the festival is regularly updated on social networking platforms, thereby spreading the influence to the community is very large, helping the festival become closer to young people.

Recently, digitalization has also been applied in the organization and management of festivals, such as the installation of surveillance cameras, thanks to which the Management Board of relics and the Organizing Board of festivals can update information about shortcomings, thereby taking timely intervention measures. The implementation of electronic ticket sales also helps customers proactively buy tickets to visit relics and festivals, limiting the situation of queuing, touts, increasing ticket prices, and preventing loss.

Notably, from 2024, some festivals will begin to apply 3D Mapping technology (a combination of 3D technology and film technology to create visual, light, and sound effects) such as: Tran Temple Festival (Hung Ha district, Thai Binh province), Hai Ba Trung Temple Festival (Me Linh district, Hanoi )...

Entering the 2025 festival season, 3D Mapping technology will be “replicated” in a series of traditional festivals. In addition to the Tran Temple Festival, there are also festivals such as: Dong Da Mound Festival (Dong Da District, Hanoi), Truong Lam Communal House Festival (Long Bien District, Hanoi)...

Technology helps preserve, promote and develop the value of festivals. But the “content” of technology applied is an issue that is receiving the attention of many people, especially the application of 3D Mapping technology. Because this application only works best when implemented at night.

3D Mapping virtual interactive performances are often combined with semi-realistic stages, mobilizing a large number of actors, so a meticulous training process is required, especially "matching" the formation to suit the space of the heritage. This causes significant inconveniences. In addition, many festival activities are changed to "reserve space" for 3D Mapping applied art programs.

From this reality, many people wonder whether changing the time and space of festival activities due to 3D Mapping technology and semi-realistic performances will affect the originality of the heritage or not?

Applying technology to preserve and promote the value of heritage in general and festivals in particular is necessary; contributing to the development of the cultural industry. However, reality shows that if technology is abused, festivals will lose their originality and folk character and lead to distance, even distortion, and deviation from the original value.

The danger of overusing technology is evident when some places turn festivals into grand theatrical shows. The bright lights of these events overshadow the sacredness, folklore and traditional rituals.

In recent years, digital transformation has brought many positive results in preserving and promoting heritage values, including festival activities. Many localities have applied 3D Mapping virtual interaction to festival programs, helping to bring new features and attract the public. However, from here, some problems have also arisen, with the risk of distorting the preservation and promotion of festival values ​​or giving rise to negative manifestations such as superstition, illegal profiteering, etc.

In the context of increasingly deep international integration, promoting cultural values ​​to develop the cultural industry is an objective necessity. In response to the new requirements of the times, on June 4, 2020, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 76-KL/TW on continuing to implement Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW of the 11th Party Central Committee on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable national development. It clearly states the requirement: Harmoniously handling the preservation and promotion of the values ​​of ethnic cultural heritage with sustainable economic and tourism development activities in localities, contributing to promoting the image of the country and Vietnamese people.

Thus, the Party and State's viewpoint on heritage, the conservation factor is always placed before the factor of promoting heritage values. Regarding promotion, the development of technology makes it possible for anyone to post images and video clips online. However, due to awareness, or intentionally, many images and videos posted have negative effects.

A typical example this year is a series of videos of “flying palanquins” (which many people consider a sacred phenomenon when the palanquin is out of control of the palanquin bearers) posted on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Along with the narration and commentary, the content promotes superstition and heresy; or incites the palanquin bearers to intentionally create “flying palanquins”… This makes many people confused and lose faith in the beauty of the festival.

Festivals cannot stay out of the digital transformation. However, given the current situation, the cultural sector needs to quickly re-evaluate the technology applications in festivals that have been deployed and the applications with great potential to have more specific directions, with certain principles and criteria.

For example, respecting the original heritage elements must be given top priority; technology applications act as supporting tools to preserve heritage values; support festival management and organization; support more lively and attractive festival activities...

In particular, do not let technology overwhelm heritage, technology become the central activity that dominates other festival activities, making tradition a shadow for stage performances. In fact, one of the special features in experiential exhibition is the combination of leapmotion, AI technology and 3D Mapping. In particular, 3D Mapping virtual interactive technology helps the public visualize history and cultural heritage more easily. However, it is necessary to apply it appropriately in propaganda, promotion, and heritage education, without distorting the original heritage.

Regarding festival promotion on social networks, management agencies also need to have orientations so that people know how to filter out the bad and bring out the good when providing information to promote the good values ​​of the festival instead of inciting curiosity, encouraging superstition, creating opportunities for some individuals to profit, causing social instability. When the amount of technology is applied appropriately, the digitalization of traditional festivals will truly contribute to building an advanced Vietnamese culture with a strong national identity.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/so-hoa-trong-bao-ton-phat-huy-gia-tri-di-san-post875122.html