Da Nang is the only city in central Vietnam that owns both rich heritage and advanced technology - two key “treasures” for developing its cultural industries.
Da Nang holds one of the most diverse heritage systems in central Vietnam.
On November 26, the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a consultation workshop to implement the city’s development plan for cultural and creative industries (CCI) through 2030.
Contributing to the discussion, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong from the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism noted that most young urban areas often lack the heritage depth to nurture creativity, while heritage cities typically fall short on infrastructure for events, technology, and media.
In contrast, following administrative restructuring, Da Nang uniquely possesses both.
She explained that three wards annexed from Hoi An now form a “heritage sub-zone,” where tangible and intangible cultural assets have been preserved across generations. Meanwhile, Da Nang’s urban center maintains its strength in digital technology, media and advertising, and hosting international events.
This combination creates a "two-in-one" structure, positioning Da Nang as the only city in the central region capable of developing a seamless cultural value chain.
Dr. Phuong proposed three strategic directions for the city: completing the spatial planning for cultural and creative zones across three functional hubs; enhancing coordination mechanisms between heritage and creative districts; and investing in a digital infrastructure system for cultural data, content production, and personalized tourism experiences.
Ms. Kang Hyun-jong.
From a heritage perspective, Ho Xuan Tinh of the Da Nang Cultural Heritage Association emphasized that the city has a rich portfolio of cultural assets - from Champa relics and Hoi An’s ancient town to traditional craft villages. However, the exploitation of these resources remains fragmented, souvenir products are limited, and digital transformation is slow.
He suggested developing art streets, coastal cultural spaces, locally branded gifts, and applying VR/AR technologies, historical films, and animation. These initiatives would enrich the tourist experience while opening up new markets for Da Nang's cultural industries.
Meanwhile, Professor Kang Hyun-jong, Head of the Department of Character and Animation at Yuhan University (South Korea), proposed transforming a 1km stretch of My Khe Beach into the world’s first interactive media art park.
An expert proposes transforming a 1km stretch of My Khe Beach into the world’s first interactive media art park. Photo: G.X
Experts propose transforming a 1km stretch of My Khe Beach into the world’s first interactive media art park. Photo: G.X
According to her concept, the beach would become a “giant canvas” featuring 3D sand art, digital sand paintings, a Champa sculpture garden, wave mapping projections, artistic lighting, and drone shows narrating Vietnamese culture.
She also proposed nighttime performances at Marble Mountains, using natural caves and cliffs as a "natural theater" for shows combining traditional martial arts, historical and mythological storytelling, and interactive animation experiences.
Professor Kang emphasized that the success of this model depends on three factors: the quality of creative content, strong linkages among government, academia, and businesses, and the integration of AI across the entire cultural value chain.
Truong Thi Hong Hanh, Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, noted that the city is facing a significant opportunity as the central government pushes to institutionalize “cultural resources and cultural soft power.”
She said Da Nang is well-positioned to become the cultural-artistic center of the South Central Coast and Central Highlands, as well as the core of a regional cultural industry ecosystem.
She emphasized that the city needs to complete support mechanisms, expand creative spaces, and build a distinct cultural-creative ecosystem - shifting from isolated industry development to an interconnected value chain of heritage, identity, technology, and innovation.
According to the draft plan for cultural industry development, Da Nang aims to make the cultural sector a major economic pillar, contributing more than 13% of the city’s GRDP by 2030 and becoming one of Vietnam’s key creative industry hubs.
Vietnamnet.vn
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