Exporting culture through technology:

Technology is becoming a "highway" for promoting and spreading traditional culture to the world, opening up many opportunities for Hanoi - a land of thousand-year-old civilization, in the context of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo setting new requirements for the development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Guided tour for visitors to experience 3D motion-controlled technology to explore the contents of books at the Temple of Literature - National University historical site. Photo: Viet Thanh

The world around us

For decades, cultural influence was typically disseminated through film, music , tourism, or education. However, the development of high-speed internet, social media, online video platforms, and virtual reality technology has revolutionized how long-established cities promote their identity. According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), digital technology, particularly online platforms, is helping to preserve and transmit cultural memory in unprecedented ways.

Today, a short clip on social media or a video game inspired by folklore can become a gateway for millions of people around the world to learn about the history and identity of a country or city in the most inexpensive and accessible way. South Korea is a prime example of combining technology with traditional culture to create global reach. Much digital content has become a bridge connecting international tourists to ancient palaces, traditional villages, and historical and cultural spaces in the Land of the Morning Calm.

Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul is becoming an icon on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube thanks to a series of "cinematic" videos showcasing traditional houses, hanbok clothing, and traditional alleyways. The Seoul metropolitan government further fueled this trend with multilingual signage, digital check-in points, and hashtag campaigns, increasing its reach on social media. South Korea is also one of the countries skillfully leveraging technology to build a global community around its cultural values. According to Kim Hyun Jun, Director of the Korea International Cultural Policy Agency, South Korea aims to achieve a market size of 300 trillion won for "K-culture" (Korean culture) and 50 trillion won in cultural exports by 2030. This will be achieved through increased support for businesses, promotion of R&D (research and development) in cultural technology, and the application of AI (artificial intelligence) throughout the entire production, creation, and distribution process of content.

Meanwhile, China is demonstrating a strong direction towards digitizing its heritage and traditional cultural spaces. Short-video platforms like TikTok and Douyin have become "extended arms," ​​bringing Chinese calligraphy, traditional costumes, folk art, and traditional architecture to the global stage.

Many European countries are also leveraging technology to "revive" historical heritage. In France, major museums like the Louvre, in addition to developing virtual reality tours, are focusing on producing short behind-the-scenes videos recreating artworks and multilingual content on YouTube and TikTok. Instead of just "displaying" heritage, they are telling historical stories using the modern language of the internet. Meanwhile, in Spain, Barcelona is heavily utilizing digital technology to showcase Antoni Gaudí's architecture.

Opportunity for a breakthrough

A common thread in the success of these countries and cities is that they don't view cultural preservation merely as the storage of artifacts or traditional spaces, but rather seek to integrate historical values ​​into contemporary life through technological platforms. This is particularly noteworthy, especially in the context of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, which identifies science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the driving forces for national development in the new era. The spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW lies not only in the development of high technology or the digital economy, but also in the need for innovative approaches in many fields, including culture and heritage.

As a land of thousand-year-old culture, Hanoi possesses a vast treasure trove of heritage, including temples, pagodas, ancient streets, traditional craft villages, and unique historical layers of the nation. From Thang Long Imperial Citadel to 1,350 craft villages, the capital has ample material to develop a "digital cultural industry." In fact, many videos about Hanoi on YouTube and TikTok, as well as content about street food, coffee, ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), and the rhythm of life in the ancient streets, regularly receive a large amount of interaction from the international community.

With today's youth primarily accessing culture through digital platforms, what Hanoi needs to continue promoting is transforming heritage into digital content and ensuring this content can spread widely across every corner of the online environment. Light shows, visual arts, or augmented reality experiences at historical sites make heritage more attractive to the younger generation, but utilizing them to create digital products that spread across the internet will yield far better results. To effectively achieve this, Hanoi needs a creative ecosystem linking technology with traditional culture, requiring the participation of technology companies, historical researchers, content creators, the tourism industry, and the education sector.

Lessons from international experience show that, in the digital age, cultural strength lies not only in the depth of history but also in the ability to disseminate that history through modern technological tools. In this context, Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW opens up opportunities for Hanoi to "export" its culture through technology, not only promoting the image of the capital but also creating new impetus for the creative economy, helping traditional values ​​spread more strongly in the digital age.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/xuat-khau-van-hoa-bang-cong-nghe-co-hoi-bao-ton-va-truyen-tai-ky-uc-van-hoa-971961.html