A plan aimed at preserving and promoting the significance of traditional literature of ethnic minorities using digital technology has been authorised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Vietnam.
From 2023 to 2026, the initiative will concentrate on gathering and conducting yearly assessments to create an inventory of intangible cultural heritages related to the folk literature of ethnic minorities. Accordingly, it will digitalise and publish 40% of folk literature works, and preserve and complete the documentation of 40% of others at risk of oblivion. It will offer financial support to 50% of authors and artisans in intangible cultural heritage and folk literature of ethnic minorities, and provide training for 50% of civil servants, cultural officials, artists, folk authors, village elders, and village chiefs.
The project seeks to increase public awareness of its efforts, particularly among ethnic minorities, by promoting folk literature works through mass media and hosting regular cultural activities at various cultural establishments.
Modern technology, particularly digital technology, will also be utilised to collect, preserve, restore, uphold, and promote exceptional works, especially those that are at high risk of being forgotten. There will be 3-5 folklore clubs or ethnic minority folk art teams in a local village to provide a platform for practising, performing, and preserving various genres of folk literature. During 2027-2030, 80% of the above goals are expected to be completed.
Vietnam has implemented measures to accelerate the digitisation of its national cultural heritage to preserve and promote its values. Two years ago, a scheme was launched to digitise Vietnam’s cultural heritage between 2021 and 2030, with the aim of creating a national database of cultural heritage to support archiving, management, restoration, exploitation, and promotion efforts. It contributes to the development of sustainable tourism.
Under the programme, in the 2021-2030 period, all tangible and intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO and at the national level was to be digitalised. Meanwhile, all officials involved in the preservation of the heritage will be provided with digital transformation skills.
Digitalisation in the fields of culture and tourism has been implemented continuously with the application of new technologies. Experts believe that these efforts have yielded positive outcomes by providing the public with convenient access to cultural heritage through various means. With the aid of advanced science and technology, museums worldwide have gone beyond traditional methods and adopted new formats, such as online exhibitions. Several museums in Vietnam have also embraced this trend.
In 2021, the Vietnamese National Museum of History introduced several new virtual shows to attract visitors, maintaining social distancing protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As OpenGov Asia reported, the museum has applied digital technology in preserving and promoting cultural heritage for many years. It has built a digital database for Vietnamese cultural heritage (E-Heritage), which has achieved positive results.
It launched a 3D virtual interactive display of national treasures, which the museum developed in collaboration with a private tech player. Additionally, the National Museum of History Volunteer Club researched and built an online tour of the museum to meet the needs of visitors during the new normal. The online tour was a combination of narration with various digital technologies that helped bring new perspectives and experiences.
