Director and producer Van Nguyen is among the artists deeply devoted to preserving and promoting Vietnamese cultural identity. He was recently honoured as the “Director for the Mission of Preserving UNESCO Cultural Values 2025” in Tokyo (Japan). For him, the way to “reach” young audiences is to blend heritage and tradition with modern technology.

Digital transformation is creating a strong shift in the methods of preserving and spreading heritages. From the national archives to the museum and relic system, management agencies are proactively applying technology to preserve cultural and historical values ​​and bring them closer to the modern public.

An exhibition on Vietnamese cultural heritage, landscapes and traditional handicrafts 2025 will take place from November 21 to 24 at the Hai Phong City Centre for Culture, Cinema and Exhibition in celebration of Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).

Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Department of Tourism Nguyen Tran Quang emphasised that the four-day festival served a dual mission, honouring and preserving the intangible cultural heritage of the Ao Dai while boosting tourism and raising public awareness, particularly among the youth, about the importance of national cultural identity.

To make Viet Nam a regional and global destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions tourism (MICE tourism), heritage and technology have been identified as the two key driving forces. These are also considered the two strategic “weapons” in helping the country’s MICE tourism to “take off”.

With more than 4,000 years of civilisation, Viet Nam possesses a rich treasury of heritage, from historical sites to intangible cultural values. These are invaluable assets of Vietnamese ethnic minority communities, part of the cultural heritage of humanity, which contribute to positioning Viet Nam’s cultural identity and brand on the international stage.

As Viet Nam operates a two-tier local government model and is accelerating digital transformation, the preservation and utilisation of heritage must aim towards building a comprehensive, inclusive and harmonious ecosystem.

After 30 years since 1993, when the Complex of Hue Monuments, the first World Heritage Site of Vietnam, was recognised by UNESCO, Vietnam has had 32 honoured heritages, including two natural heritages, one mixed heritage and 29 cultural heritages. They are invaluable assets contributing to enriching the cultural heritage treasure of mankind.

Mo Muong is a heritage containing the values of many types of folklore including literature, performance, music, dance, theatre, rituals, and folk knowledge. In particular, the words of “Mo” (a type of folk rite practised at funerals or rituals) are literary works with a huge capacity, containing human, cultural and historical values as well as the outlook on life and cosmology of the Muong ethnic people. However, Mo Muong is facing many challenges in preservation and promotion of its values.

A photo exhibition officially opened in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai on September 23 to honour the art of Xoe dance of the Thai ethnic people, which was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognised by UNESCO.