Art show at Heritage Tourism Journeys in Hà Nội launching ceremony at Quán Thánh Temple, Ba Đình Ward. Photo French Institute in Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — A new set of digital heritage journeys is giving Hà Nội’s storied past a timely reboot, offering history at the tap of a screen as the capital takes a smart step towards showcasing its cultural legacy.

Heritage Tourism Journeys in Hà Nội project marks a new step in promoting the capital's cultural legacy through digital innovation.

For the first time, historical, architectural and cultural data related to numerous relics, monuments and street networks of Hà Nội have been integrated and expanded on a digital platform enabling users to easily access and search for information.

Heritage Tourism Journeys in Hà Nội is a part of the FEF-R Patrimoine project funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and implemented in co-operation with a range of prestigious academic and research partners from Việt Nam and France.

“The French Institute in Việt Nam is delighted to work with the Hà Nội authorities to honour and bring the capital’s unique heritage values closer to the public,” said French Ambassador Olivier Brochet at a ceremony launching the journeys at Quan Thánh Temple in Ba Đình Ward.

“Today, we not only introduce heritage journeys to the community but also lay the foundation for a new phase - building a city where knowledge of heritage becomes a driving force for sustainable development, a source of cultural and tourism appeal and an educational tool for younger generations."

At the same time, the project seeks to introduce and promote the values of Hà Nội’s tangible, intangible and digital heritage through heritage tourism journeys, interactive mapping systems, the H-Heritage application and QR-code systems installed at various heritage sites in central Hà Nội.

Beyond online experiences, the project also provides training opportunities for young researchers and technical teams, develops content that is accessible to the wider public, strengthens links between local partners and offers a fresh perspective on urban heritage and sustainable tourism development.

Over more than a year of implementation, a team of numerous Vietnamese and French experts led by Dr Nguyễn Thị Hiệp conducted field surveys, collected documentation, developed heritage profiles, digital maps, QR-code applications and the H-Heritage platform for public use.

“The tourism journeys we have developed are aimed at all people," said Hiệp.

"They are not only for experiential tourism but also function as tools for cultural learning, education and, ultimately, as research materials for students and scholars. In other words, a single platform integrates multiple functions."

The project team surveyed more than 100 ancient relics across Hà Nội. A vast archive in French, Hán - Nôm (Chinese-based Vietnamese characters) and Vietnamese has been revived, with each site brought vividly back to life through comprehensive documentation, digitised maps and integration into the H-Heritage application.

With just a smartphone, visitors can now explore history including four journeys Thăng Long Tứ Trấn (Four Sentries of Thăng Long), Mother Goddess temples, communal houses worshipping of craft ancestors and Hà Nội pagodas.

Thăng Long Tứ Trấn are associated with the birth of the capital Thăng Long under the Lý Dynasty (1009 – 1054) comprising of Bạch Mã Temple in the east, Voi Phục Temple in the west, Kim Liên Temple in the south and Quán Thánh Temple in the north.

Mother Goddess temples will introduce eight temples honouring the unique values of the Mother Goddesses cultural and historical tradition which was officially recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The heritage journeys combine scientific research with digital technology offering an intuitive, engaging and accessible way to explore heritage.

The project is jointly carried out by Việt Nam National University's Hà Nội University of Social Sciences and Humanities in collaboration with the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO) and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), with support from the French Embassy in Việt Nam and the French institute.

The project also delivers a series of products including a bilingual languages Vietnamese and French book on Hà Nội’s heritage which is accessible online via the project website; a French language volume on Hà Nội’s historic monuments by Dominique Lemaire and a photo collection by Nicolas Cornet. — VNS