Turning heritage into driver of development

With 121 officially recognized heritage sites and more than 1,500 inventoried historical and cultural sites, Dong Nai is facing the challenge of managing, preserving and promoting a vast heritage system spread across the city.

Tan Hiep Prison Relic in Tam Hiep Ward has become a popular destination where younger generations learn about the nation's history and cultural heritage.

Against the backdrop of a new development phase, mobilizing social resources, applying digital technology, integrating heritage conservation with traditional education, and developing cultural tourism are opening new pathways to transform heritage into an intrinsic resource that drives sustainable socio-economic growth.

Preserving heritage's priceless assets from the grassroots

Tran Bien Ward currently manages the largest number of recognized heritage sites in Dong Nai, including 10 national-level relics and eight city-level relics. The ward is also home to more than 100 religious establishments and historical and cultural sites that are being preserved and protected. These assets provide an important foundation for developing cultural tourism, promoting historical education and strengthening Tran Bien's urban identity in the new era.

However, the large number of heritage sites also presents significant challenges in terms of management, conservation and value enhancement. Since the beginning of 2026, local authorities have conducted field surveys and inspections to assess the current conditions of all heritage sites under their management while completing the handover of documentation and artifacts related to the Bien Hoa Ancient Citadel and the Green House Relic.

According to Nguyen Kim Bich Huyen, Vice Chairwoman of the Tran Bien Ward People's Committee, the ward will continue reviewing and classifying each heritage site, identifying its origin, current conditions and land-use status to complete legal land documentation. The locality will also accelerate restoration and preservation projects, prioritize deteriorating structures, promote digital transformation in heritage management, establish digital databases and apply information technology to publicize and enhance heritage values.

During the first six months of 2026, major heritage sites including the Tran Bien Temple of Literature, Tan Hiep Prison Relic, Nguyen Huu Canh Temple and Tomb, and Binh Truoc Assembly Hall welcomed more than 130,000 visitors seeking to learn about local history and culture. At the same time, numerous relics underwent condition assessments, restoration and conservation to help safeguard their historical value.

One notable objective set by Tran Bien Ward for completion by the end of 2026 is to establish heritage routes linking key sites such as the Bien Hoa Ancient Citadel, Tan Lan Communal House, Ong Pagoda, Nguyen Huu Canh Temple and Tomb, and the Buu Long Scenic Area–Buu Phong Pagoda. The initiative aims to create integrated tourism products that both showcase heritage and stimulate the development of cultural tourism.

This proactive approach is also being adopted by other localities across the city according to their own conditions. Loc Tan Commune currently manages nine heritage sites, including the nationally recognized Loc Tan 2 Circular Earthwork Archaeological Site, the provincial-level Loc Ninh Hospital Historical Site, a French colonial-era architectural work, and seven additional inventoried sites. Alongside public awareness campaigns, the commune is gradually building a digital heritage database while strengthening cooperation between local authorities and residents in preserving and promoting cultural assets.

In Phu Nghia Commune, three inventoried archaeological sites—Phu Nghia 2, Phu Nghia 3 and Phu Nghia 4 Circular Earthworks—have been digitally documented and incorporated into the city's heritage management system. Under its 2026-2030 development plan, the commune will integrate heritage conservation into local planning, encourage participation by residents, businesses and social organizations, and responsibly utilize heritage resources for tourism, historical education and cultural experiences.

Using technology to enhance heritage value

Dinh Quan Commune is home to several historical relics and scenic attractions that draw large numbers of visitors, notably the nationally recognized La Nga Victory Site, the nationally recognized Da Chong Scenic Area, and the provincial-level Dinh Quan Communal House. These sites provide a solid foundation for developing tourism products built around historial and cultual values and natural landscapes.

Thieu Quang Tan, Head of the commune's Culture and Social Affairs Division, said Dinh Quan has incorporated tourism development into its implementation of the city's special 500-day-and-night emulation campaign, themed "Solidarity – Discipline – Efficiency – Breakthrough, Building Dong Nai into a Civilized and Modern City." The locality hopes to receive professional guidance from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on heritage conservation, linking historical sites with tourist destinations and developing distinctive cultural tourism products. Such support would help maximize the value of existing heritage assets while achieving the commune's development objectives.

Dong Nai City's cultural development plan targets 100% of nationally special and nationally recognized heritage sites being restored and protected against deterioration by 2030, while ensuring that all festivals listed as national intangible cultural heritage elements are organized regularly and to a high standard.

Alongside local initiatives, the cultural sector is modernizing heritage management through digital technology. In recent years, the Dong Nai Museum has introduced virtual tours and virtual exhibitions at numerous heritage sites, completed 2D digitization of 31 national and specially recognized heritage sites, and digitized more than 10,000 pages of documents, photographs and archival records. The museum has also developed GIS maps for archaeological sites and created 3D virtual tour models of the Command Headquarters for the Liberation Army of South Vietnam in Loc Thanh Commune and the Southern Liberation Armed Forces Logistics Department Base in Loc Quang Commune.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Yen, Director of the Dong Nai Museum, the museum will continue expanding restoration and conservation projects while linking heritage preservation with cultural and tourism development. It also plans to accelerate digital transformation by developing virtual exhibition spaces and online exhibitions, providing the public with more diverse ways to experience cultural heritage. The museum will further strengthen partnerships and encourage greater social participation in heritage promotion while working with tourism enterprises to showcase the history, culture and people of Dong Nai. These efforts are expected to transform cultural heritage into a key driver of socio-economic development while fostering a dynamic, innovative, compassionate and globally integrated Dong Nai.

By My Ny - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha