Preserving Dong Nai’s cultural relics through digital technology

Digital technology is opening up a new direction for preserving and enhancing the value of both tangible and intangible relics across Dong Nai province.

The provincial-level Dak Mai 1 Waterfall relic in Bu Gia Map commune serves as one of the most captivating destinations for locals and visitors. Photo: Nguyen Manh Ha

From historic sites and cultural works to intangible relics, digitization is not merely a means of long-term storage, it also helps disseminate Dong Nai’s rich cultural value to audiences across Vietnam and around the world.

Strongly applying technology, digital transformation

Nguyen Ngoc Yen, Director of the Dong Nai Museum said that: Between 2021 and 2025, the museum has carried out 2D digitization of the Dong Nai Archaeology books and the Binh Da Lithophone, as well as 3D digitization of artifacts designated as national treasures, and digitization of relic classification dossiers held by the museum. An open-access database was established to facilitate research, and exploration. Notably, the museum has developed 360° virtual tours, including Tran Bien Temple of Literature, Nguyen Huu Canh Temple, Hang Gon Megalithic Tomb, and the Binh Phuoc Cultural Exhibition Space.

To date, Dong Nai has digitized over 44 dossiers of national-level and special national ranked relics, along with more than 12,000 related photographs and documents. Detailed information about documents of classified relics such as the Phuoc Long Victory Site, Tan Hung 3 Circular Earthwork, Duc Minh Pagoda, Thuan Loi 1 Circular Earthwork, and Thuan Phu 2 Circular Earthwork, has been uploaded to the Relic Management Information System (ditich.dsvh.gov.vn). The province has also applied virtual exhibition technology to showcase biodiversity and indigenous culture at Cat Tien National Park, national treasures in Dong Nai, and the culture of the Ma ethnic group in the province.

Beyond provincial efforts, localities have intensified the application of technology and digital transformation to preserve and promote relic values.

According to Nguyen Van Chien, Vice Chairman of Trang Bom commune People’s Committee, the commune’s official website and the official fanpages of its administrative and public service units regularly feature news, articles, and images highlighting the significance of relics, scenic sites, and festivals across the commune. Several documents and photographs have been digitized and stored electronically, supporting management, statistical analysis, and reporting activities.

Particularly, Trang Bom has also successfully implemented a youth-led project to digitize the commune’s red addresses and designed the Memory Station Project, a dedicated space for preserving the commune’s historical narratives. The project serves as a journey in traditional education, celebrating the homeland’s historical value through two thematic stations: Tracing Back History and the Flame of Heritage. The Memory Station was officially inaugurated at the Trang Bom Commune Youth Union Congress on October 19, 2025

Thuan Loi commune, also home to numerous relics, has collaborated closely with relevant agencies and units to conduct inspections, reviews, and promote public awareness about heritage protection. Thanks to these efforts, the sites are largely protected from encroachment, damage, or destruction, remaining largely intact and serving as a resource for educating younger generations about the historical tradition and revolutionary culture. Thuan Loi commune has digitized its heritage materials, created videos and images, and exhibited them online to support long-term promotion and preservation efforts

The digitized artifacts in Dong Nai comprise representative items that reflect the province’s history and culture, including regularly displayed pieces and rare treasures. Digitization not only helps storing these valuable heritage resources but also facilitates research and promotes the province’s cultural heritage to audiences both within and beyond Dong Nai

Spreading cultural values through the digital space

Alongside the digitization of tangible heritage, Dong Nai also focuses on digitizing intangible cultural heritage – the spiritual lifeblood of the community. Over the past several years, the province has produced dozens of documentary films on festivals, traditional crafts, and folk knowledge of ethnic minorities, such as the Long Tong Festival of the Tay and Nung people, the Vegetarian Festival of the Hoa ethnic community, and the traditional brocade weaving of the Ma and S’tieng peoples. Broadcast on both national and local television channels, these documentaries offer the public with vivid and accessible insights into local cultural life.

However, to continue spreading the value of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, according to Nguyen Phong Dan, Vice Chairman of Thuan Loi commune People’s Committee, in the near future, the locality will maintain and expand models of the Then singing – Tinh lute Club and don ca tai tu (Southern folk music) performances, encouraging the participation from schools and community organizations. Efforts will also focus on accelerating the digitization of cultural heritage, in collaboration with higher-level specialized agencies to establish a digital database of local heritage. At the same time, communication and promotion will be strengthened, bringing traditional arts into tourism and cultural-social events in the commune.

Nguyen Ngoc Yen, Director of the Dong Nai Museum, emphasized: “One of the key solutions to preserve and promote the value of Dong Nai’s cultural heritage in the coming period is to intensify the application of technology and digital transformation. In addition to completing the digital database of heritage and national treasures, the museum will expand virtual exhibitions and online displays, providing viewers with engaging and immersive experiences that bring cultural heritage closer to the public.”

By connecting tradition with modernity, Dong Nai has expanded its cultural heritages on digital platforms, preserved them through technology, and brought them to life within the community, continuing to spread the values of Dong Nai’s culture and people.

By My Ny – Translated by Thu Hien, Thu Ha