Hanoi unveils digital heritage journeys to connect tradition with modern urban life

THE HANOI TIMES — As a thousand-year city, Hanoi carries unique heritage values and a cultural identity that holds enormous tourism potential.

In this fast-changing city, ancient monuments stand beside dense modern neighborhoods, creating an urban landscape where past and present live together, yet many sites lack protection and remain difficult to access in a clear and organized way.

To unlock these heritage treasures, the program “Hanoi Heritage Tourism Itineraries” kicked off on December 3, giving visitors interactive tools such as a digital map, the H-Heritage mobile app and QR codes that offer deeper access to the city’s heritage routes.

The program is part of the FEF-R Patrimoine project, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and developed in cooperation with Vietnamese partners.

The project aims to help Hanoi face major challenges in preserving and promoting its cultural assets amid rapid urbanization.

Through the “Hanoi Heritage Tourism Itineraries” initiative, the city can identify, study, connect and present heritage sites through modern methods that combine academic research, student involvement and digital technologies.

After nearly a year of work, the project has gathered nearly 40 experts and about 100 students from history, architecture, geography, anthropology and information technology.

Their efforts include field surveys, monument documentation, GIS mapping, adding photos and videos, building digital platforms and producing research publications.

The result is a complete heritage ecosystem that includes a bilingual research book with 10 thematic studies, a French-language publication on Hanoi’s heritage sites, an upcoming art photography album by Nicolas Cornet, three printed maps in three languages with integrated QR codes and a digital map system with the H-Heritage mobile app.

From more than 100 surveyed sites, the research team selected 28 representative monuments and organized them into four themed journeys: the Four Sacred Temples, Mother Goddess Temples, Craft Ancestor Communal Houses and Pagodas of Hanoi.

These curated routes give residents and tourists fresh ways to explore the city’s cultural heritage. Each journey links related sites while telling a unified story that reflects Hanoi’s spiritual and historical identity.

The first itinerary, “Thang Long Tu Tran” (The Four Sacred Guardians), explores the four temples of Bach Ma, Voi Phuc, Quan Thanh and Kim Lien, which protected the eastern, western, southern and northern gates of the ancient Thang Long citadel.

The second journey, “Mother Goddess Temples”, connects eight temples and palaces dedicated to Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh and other deities of the Tam Phu belief system, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

It showcases a spiritual practice built on ritual, music, dance and honor for the Mother figure.

The third journey, “Craft Ancestor Communal Houses”, leads visitors through communal houses in the Old Quarter dedicated to the founders of traditional crafts.

Each one preserves the memory of artisans who shaped Thang Long’s long-lasting craft legacy.

The final journey, “Pagodas of Hanoi”, highlights pagodas associated with the monk An Thien, an influential patriarch of Vietnamese Buddhism.

All collected data has been digitized and integrated into an electronic map system, QR codes and the H-Heritage app, allowing residents, students and tourists to explore heritage information directly on their smartphones.

These digital journeys also serve as an effective educational tool for extracurricular programs, giving young people in Hanoi more chances to discover cultural heritage through active, hands-on and interactive learning.

Here are some photos of Ambassador Olivier Brochet taking part in the activities held this morning at the Quan Thanh Temple during the launch ceremony.