Vietnam is expanding efforts to digitize its cultural heritage, but experts say the process must carefully balance accessibility, preservation and the authenticity of historical materials.
Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on the Development of Vietnamese Culture sets out a vision for comprehensive and sustainable cultural development and for building Vietnamese people in the new era around standards of morality, knowledge, skills and resilience.
The resolution focuses on developing cultural industries, identifying culture as a key economic sector contributing to GDP growth, while also preserving and promoting heritage and applying digital technology to bring Vietnamese culture to the world.
November 24 has been approved by the National Assembly as Vietnamese Culture Day, affirming the role of culture in the country's new era of development.
VietNamNet is publishing a series featuring the views of cultural experts on changes in the arts and culture sector under the impact of Resolution 80.
Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on the development of Vietnamese culture clearly sets out a direction for approaching cultural resources in a comprehensive and modern manner, turning heritage into assets that contribute directly to socioeconomic development.
To translate this vision into practice, Decree No. 277/2026/ND-CP on Digital Cultural Infrastructure, issued on July 9, calls for urgent mechanisms to address eight core challenges, with safeguarding cultural sovereignty in the digital space identified as a top priority.
In reality, cyberspace has become a "new cultural space."
If Vietnam is slow to build its own digital infrastructure, national cultural data will reside on foreign platforms. Users' access could then be entirely shaped by foreign algorithms, making Vietnamese content less likely to receive priority, creating the risk of data dependence and opening the door for harmful cultural values to penetrate.
Digitizing photography: Safeguarding historical records with caution
A statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara displayed in a digital exhibition by the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum.
The push toward digitization is already taking tangible form at archival institutions.
Speaking to VietNamNet about the process, Ha Huu Duc, Director of the Vietnam Art Photography Archives and Exhibition Center, said that over more than 150 years since photography was introduced to Vietnam, the medium has preserved some of the most authentic images of the country's turbulent historical periods.
Starting from nothing, the center now safely stores hundreds of thousands of image files spanning virtually every major period, from the late 19th century and the years before the August Revolution to the resistance wars against France and the United States, the border wars and the Doi Moi era.
A dedicated server system and stringent security measures have been established around one fundamental principle: "There must be no risk in archival storage."
Despite having accumulated an enormous volume of data, Duc stressed that digitization must be carried out "with the utmost caution, making sure each step is secure before moving on."
The release of data must be carefully considered in terms of copyright, while materials must also undergo rigorous screening to prevent malicious actors from exploiting them to distort the nation's history.
The complex challenge facing fine arts museums
Alongside photography, the fine arts sector is also undergoing a significant transformation, although it faces a distinct and in many respects more complicated set of challenges.
According to Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum, the institution has achieved initial results with the iMuseum VFA audio guide application, the VAES online space, 3D tours and a digital database system.
Digitizing more than 20,000 fine arts objects, however, is a "long-term process."
The greatest difficulty stems from the unique nature of each artifact.
Every lacquer painting, silk work or national treasure carries complex values associated with its materials, colors and techniques. Digitization therefore cannot simply mean taking photographs. It must faithfully reproduce the aesthetic qualities of each work, requiring specialized equipment and rigorous procedures.
Other challenges shared by many institutions include ensuring data security, protecting intellectual property rights in the digital environment, securing funding for infrastructure investment and training personnel who understand both museology and digital technology.
Although digital transformation is an inevitable trend, Dr. Nguyen Anh Minh emphasized one immutable principle: "Technology is not the goal, and it certainly cannot replace the value of the original artifact."
Every technological application, from 3D and virtual reality to data systems, must revolve around a single objective: supporting preservation and research while making heritage more accessible to the public.
Harnessing the economic value of digital data and online exhibitions to develop cultural tourism or creative industries is a sound direction.
Experts agree, however, that all such activities "must be built on a foundation of sustainable preservation and academic value," with absolute respect for authenticity and without compromising the original value of cultural heritage.
When technology and respect for authenticity are brought together in harmony, Vietnam's cultural heritage can truly "come alive" again, reach wider audiences and become a powerful resource for economic development in the digital age.
Vietnamnet.vn
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