HCM CITY — Việt Nam needs to catch up with the rest of the world and use smart technology in its museums, Hoàng Anh Tuấn, director of the Museum of Vietnamese History said recently in HCM City.

Tuấn said: “When I visited a museum in South Korea, they gave me a device that I could use to scan the exhibits and listen to information, and see a video, too.”

“With digital technology, viewers can see connections between objects and contexts, and visualise and learn about historical periods and culture through space and time.”

On November 20, the Tôn Đức Thắng Museum discussed the development of smart apps with the Việt Nam Cultural Heritage Association’s Centre for Research and Promotion of Cultural Values at a conference in HCM City.

Vũ Thị Luyến, a representative of Hồ Chí Minh Museum, said: "Museums in HCM City should use modern technology applications to convey the most effective content and information. Smart applications will turn objects into vivid historical documents. In addition to searching for information, the interactive museum allows visitors to interact with objects and materials through a virtual 3D museum model.”

To catch up with the trend, some destinations in HCM City have created their own applications or bought other digital apps.

Early this month, the Southern Women’s Museum in HCM City launched a new exhibition room that uses a smart museum mobile app.

Guests at the new exhibition “Portrait of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers of Southern Vietnam and HCM City” can install the Bảo Tàng PNNB app on their IOS or Android devices and explore the photos on display.

When a photo or an object is within one metre from visitors, the app will show images and information, allowing the museum to provide more in-depth information.

The app also provides information about well-known historical figures, historical background and video clips, giving visitors a better understanding of the works.

The smart museum app acts as an electronic guide in different languages.

Through the app on smartphones or tablets, the system accurately locates where visitors are standing and displays information about nearby objects in an animated micro image.

The system also helps to minimise the work of the tour guide while creating a modern, friendly exhibition environment.

However, not all places in the city have been able to launch a mobile app or run a website to better serve tourists and locals.

To fully integrate smart tourism, the city must have adequate technical infrastructure, according to experts.

Old media activities such as books, pamphlets, annotations, video clips and audio guides are not as attractive to visitors as they once were, Tuấn said. — VNS