The Vietnamese Women's Museum holds a workshop to bring heritage and artefacts closer to visitors using technology. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Touch, Play, Learn workshop held this week at the Vietnamese Women's Museum in Hà Nội focused on using hands-on creative activities to engage young visitors with national heritage.

The event was part of the museum's contribution to the 2026 Hà Nội Creative Design Festival, which will take place in November. It aimed to create a new approach to the museum's artefacts and heritage through technological solutions. 

The programme started in 2025, when the museum worked with Việt Nam RMIT to publish a book entitled Một Thời Và Mãi Mãi (A Period of Time and Forever). The book compiles numerous stories and digitised 3D images of various artefacts, such as a krama scarf from the resistance war against the US, an embroidery piece created by a female prisoner during her captivity, an intelligence agent's face-concealing hood and a yếm (traditional Vietnamese bodice) used to transport secret documents.

Building on this effort, the two partners offered activities such as picture-matching and memory games, an AI-powered chatbot and 3D printing of artefacts into keychains for visitors at the workshop. A highlight was the heritage kit model combining original artefacts, digital apps and a series of interactive activities, enabling the public to explore historical and cultural narratives through three experiential layers: touch, play and learn.

Young visitors complete puzzles at the event. Photos courtesy of Vietnamese Women's Museum

For Touch, visitors experienced heritage first-hand through observation, brought to life by 3D digitisation and AI technology that allowed visitors to examine artefacts as interactive entities.

In Play, they engaged in themed and interactive workshops featuring QR codes for instant access to rich historical context, making learning both fun and memorable.

In Learn, they discovered personal connections to history through hands-on experiences, fostering a deep appreciation for culture that inspired visitors to share their passion with the community.

The heritage kit will be introduced widely to the public at the Hà Nội Creative Design Festival.

At the workshop, visitors also tried the 'Conversations with Artefacts' experience, which used AI and 3D digitisation technology to allow visitors to engage in dialogue with artefacts linked to historical events.

They also completed themed jigsaw puzzles, tested their memory with a flashcard set featuring 10 artefacts and scanned QR codes to explore the book A Period of Time and Forever.

Visitors at the 3D printing station could bring home a miniature replica to learn more about cultural heritage.

In particular, the Bring Heritage Home activity allowed visitors to observe the 3D printing process and obtain a miniature replica (3-4cm in size) featuring an integrated QR code for accessing information on a digital platform.

Museum official Lê Cẩm Nhung said that the use of technology in the programme offered the public entirely new experiences.

"Instead of viewing artefacts displayed behind glass cases as usual, participants can now engage with Việt Nam's cultural heritage and historical narratives from a completely fresh perspective," she said.

"Participants were guided by a cultural heritage technology expert, actively and enthusiastically engaged with the exhibits and were eager to craft their own miniature replicas and take the heritage home."

RMIT University lecturer Ondris Pui said that today's younger generation grew up in a digital environment.  This requires new methods to encourage learning, such as creating social media-friendly photo opportunities or sparking curiosity about a product.

For instance, a 3D-printed keychain with a QR code allows people to read about the object from anywhere, rather than having to visit the museum in person, Pui said. — VNS