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| Students at Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School are excited to explore heritage through digital technology applications. Photo: Lien Minh |
Exploring greater depth
For Hue city, a specially designated heritage city of Vietnam, participating in the flow of the digital economy is not merely a matter of technology; more profoundly, it is an opportunity to reposition the value of culture and heritage within a new economic structure.
Notably, while industrial localities have advantages in the core digital economy, and major metropolitan areas are strong in the platform-based digital economy, Hue possesses a “unique advantage” in the third pillar - the digital transformation of traditional sectors. This is precisely the space where culture, heritage, and creativity can become direct resources for generating high added value.
Hue does not have large-scale high-tech industrial zones, nor is it yet a center for leading digital platforms. However, Hue possesses a rich repository of royal court heritage, folk culture, and distinctive cultural landscapes accumulated over hundreds of years of history. In the context of the digital economy, these seemingly “static” values have the potential to be transformed into dynamic digital assets that can spread without limits across space and time.
In practice, the application of digital technology to heritage is opening up entirely new approaches. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), 3D modeling, and big data now make it possible to reconstruct architectural spaces and vividly recreate royal rituals, music, and court life. Visitors no longer simply “view” heritage but can “experience” it in ways that were previously impossible. This not only increases the value of an entrance ticket but also extends the tourism value chain, creating digital service products with the potential for sustainable revenue generation.
More importantly, the digitization of heritage does not stop at serving tourism. When royal court Ao Dai patterns, Royal court music, culinary knowledge, and traditional architectural forms are transformed into copyrighted digital data, they become raw materials for the creative industries. From fashion and film to video games and digital design, Hue’s cultural values can fully participate in global value chains, generating revenue through the “export of digital cultural products” - a field that many countries have already been exploiting very effectively.
From this perspective, it can be said that the digital economy is helping address one of Hue’s greatest challenges: how to both preserve heritage and promote economic development at the same time. Instead of exploiting heritage in a broad sense - by increasing visitor numbers and intensifying the use of physical space - digital transformation enables Hue to develop in depth, increasing the value generated per unit of heritage without compromising its authenticity.
In addition, the digital economy opens up another important direction: developing heritage education on digital platforms. Online courses on the history of the Nguyen Dynasty, court arts, Hue cuisine, or Ca Hue (Hue-Singing) can fully reach learners around the world. In this way, Hue is not only a tourist destination but can also become a center for cultural knowledge dissemination, contributing to enhancing the city’s position within the global cultural landscape.
A shift in governance mindset
A notable highlight is the development of integrated digital platforms such as Hue-S, which connect urban services, tourism, and cultural activities within a unified ecosystem. When data on visitors’ behaviors, needs, and experiences are systematically collected and analyzed, authorities can make more accurate policy decisions, businesses can develop more suitable products, and the entire service ecosystem can operate more efficiently.
However, for the digital economy to truly become a driving force for the cultural and heritage sectors, Hue needs a systematic and long-term approach. First, it is necessary to clearly recognize that heritage is not only an object of preservation but also an economic asset - a type of “soft resource” capable of generating value if managed properly. This requires the development of mechanisms for digital copyright, benefit-sharing, and the protection of heritage data sovereignty.
Next, it is essential to invest strongly in digital infrastructure and human resources. Heritage digitization cannot stop at 3D scanning or data storage; it needs develop concrete products and services with commercialization potential. To achieve this, Hue needs to attract technology companies, creative professionals, and digital design and content studios to participate in the process.
Finally, it is equally important to change the governance mindset. In the digital economy, value lies not only in tangible assets but also in data, in experience, and in the ability to connect. A heritage asset truly “lives” only when it is retold, reimagined, and shared within new spaces - digital spaces.
Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW of the Politburo clearly affirms that culture is both a spiritual foundation and an endogenous resource for development. In the current context, the digital economy is an important tool for realizing this perspective. For Hue, this is not only an opportunity but also an inevitable requirement for the city to achieve sustainable development based on its heritage. If leveraged effectively, Hue can become a model of a “digital heritage economy” - where the past is not only preserved but also transformed into a driving force for the future.