Hanoi launches digital platform to preserve cultural heritage

A new digital platform, ‘Hanoi Heritage Tourism Journey’, was launched on October 18 at Kim Ngan Communal House to preserve and promote the capital city's cultural heritage. The project is a collaborative effort between the French Embassy in Vietnam, the French Institute in Vietnam, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-Hanoi), the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO), and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), with funding from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Over the past year, approximately 40 experts and 100 students surveyed more than 100 monuments, selecting 28 key sites to develop comprehensive digital profiles. These profiles include scientific descriptions, historical photographs, architectural drawings, videos, and translations of Han-Nom inscriptions. The platform is designed for easy access via smartphone QR codes, allowing tourists, students, and residents to explore themes such as the Thang Long Four Sacred Temples, Mother Goddess worship, ancestral craft guilds, and Vietnamese pagodas.

The launch coincided with the official visit of Éléonore Caroit, the French Minister Delegate for Francophony, International Partnerships, and French Abroad. The initiative aims to use digital technology to combat the risks of heritage loss caused by rapid urbanization and to provide a multilingual resource for cultural education and research.