Armed with just a smartphone and creative vision, many young Vietnamese are now producing vibrant short films about the country’s cultural heritage  -  and sharing them across social media platforms, where they’ve attracted tens of millions of views.

Cultural heritage and technology: An inseparable duo

On March 28, 2025, the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Support Fund, the Department of Ethnic Culture, the Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and TikTok signed a cooperation agreement to digitally preserve and promote Vietnam’s cultural heritage.

As part of the program titled “Innovation and Heritage Preservation in the Digital World”, the partners will collaborate to bring heritage closer to younger generations. TikTok will serve as a creative hub, encouraging users to produce content about Vietnam’s cultural traditions through innovative, tech-driven storytelling.

This partnership will launch initiatives such as the #DiSanVietNam hashtag challenge, which invites the public to create and share heritage-related content. Other immersive activities include virtual reality experiences that allow users to explore monuments, museums, and traditional art in 3D digital spaces.

Participants also had the chance to use VR headsets to view high-fidelity renderings of pagodas, temples, and ancient paintings, as well as access augmented reality (AR) flashcard kits  -  offering a fresh, engaging way to experience heritage through modern technology.

During the event, speakers explored how to ignite a passion for heritage among youth and maximize the power of technology and digital platforms in connecting new generations with traditional culture.

They emphasized that cultural heritage should not be confined to museum walls  -  it must evolve and adapt with the times. In this digital age, technology is not just a tool but a midwife for creativity, enabling content creators to honor, reinterpret, and preserve Vietnam’s heritage.

According to To Van Dong, Director of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Support Fund, heritage preservation must be a community-wide effort. “Cultural heritage is the soul of the nation in the digital era. Preserving it through digital platforms helps the community connect more deeply with it, while also fostering national pride and global recognition,” he said.

Games and social media: New gateways for heritage promotion

 
At the same event, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hoang, a lecturer at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, proposed integrating heritage storytelling into the booming video game industry.

“Games can bring heritage stories and artifacts to life in ways that are relatable and accessible for young audiences,” he said. “If each of Vietnam’s major game studios infused just a little heritage into their games, we could reach up to 4 billion global downloads.”

With youthful creativity and digital tools at hand, many short videos about Vietnamese cultural heritage have gone viral. Speaking on the topic, Nguyen Lam Thanh, General Director of TikTok Vietnam, said heritage represents the crystallization of thousands of years of Vietnamese history.

“In today’s fast-paced world, people's lifestyles are changing, and their time is limited. This creates a challenge: how do we pass traditional values to future generations in a modern way?” Thanh asked.

He noted that some TikTok livestreams on cultural topics have drawn millions of views, proving that technology is now the most powerful vehicle for cultural dissemination. However, he also warned that the digital space contains not just high-quality content, but also toxic, misleading material.

“That’s why TikTok wants to partner with heritage institutions to define clear goals  -  to identify which aspects of heritage should be promoted, and how we can bring that content to users,” he added.

Many content creators have already attracted tens of millions of views with videos showcasing traditional Vietnamese culture. TikTok pledges continued collaboration with institutions to safeguard and elevate Vietnamese heritage in the digital realm.

A journey through Vietnam’s heritage  -  one clip at a time

Under the 2025 program “Innovation and Heritage Preservation in the Digital World”, the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Support Fund and TikTok will jointly organize a #DiSanVietNam hashtag challenge, encouraging creators and users alike to develop content that celebrates the nation's cultural legacy.

Moreover, both entities will organize field trips to provinces rich in tangible and intangible heritage. Content creators  -  including popular TikTokers such as Pham Duc Anh (@ducanh94), Giao Cùn, Meo Trai Dat, Ninh TiTo, Cee Jay, Manh Tien Khoi, Dinh Trang Thao, Hoang Hon, Tieu Ngao, and Cuong Cao  -  will participate.

These journeys will immerse creators in local culture, cuisine, landscapes, and heritage  -  from ancient relics to oral histories  -  enabling them to generate engaging, authentic content that shares Vietnam’s legacy with the world.

Thai Khang