Ninh Binh digitises heritage for future growth

Trần Thương Temple in Trần Thương Commune, Ninh Bình Province, was recognised as a special national relic in 2015. It is believed to stand where General Trần Quốc Tuấn once built a military food storehouse. The temple is also known for its traditional architecture and decorative features.

Pham Hai Hung, Caretaker, Tran Thuong Temple, Ninh Binh Province said: "I hope the site will receive more investment and become better known among the public. This is what the management board and local people here wish for".

The number of visitors and pilgrims has grown by about 5% each year. But to bring the site closer to the public and keep it connected to the community, new ways of engaging with visitors are needed.

"Digitisation will be carried out step by step, covering each category and task, to complete the process in 2026", said Pham Van Thanh Deputy Head of the Culture Division, Tran Thuong Commune People's Committee, Ninh Binh Province.

Following the merger, Ninh Binh Province has more than 5,000 relics, making digitisation a major task. Each site requires carefully selected and organised data that is accurate, concise and accessible to the public.

Vu Thanh Lich, Deputy Director, Ninh Binh Department of Culture and Sports said: "In the coming period, we will allocate greater resources to collect, research and systematise data, ensuring consistency".

"In the AI era, data is the raw material. For AI to understand Vietnamese culture, we need Vietnamese-language data and heritage data", said Nguyen Thi Hoang Lan, Director, Centre for Digital Transformation in Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The cultural digital transformation programme aims for cultural industries and the creative economy to contribute 9% of GDP by 2045, with digital cultural products accounting for over 80%.

From preserving heritage digitally to managing and developing it through data, digital transformation can help heritage create new cultural value.