Young guardians of culture
Armed with creativity, technology, and fresh perspectives, Vietnamese youth are reshaping how heritage is celebrated, from TikTok livestreams to nationwide art contests.
THE HANOI TIMES — Heritage, once thought to belong to the elders, is now being reimagined by a new generation. Across Vietnam, Gen Z is breathing fresh life into centuries-old traditions, approaching preservation with bold ideas and creative energy that turn cultural legacy into something vibrant and current.
Touching heritage
TikTokers make clips showing how to wrap banh chung and banh day at the ancient Hung Lo Communal House in Phu Tho Province. Photo: Organizing Board of Vietnamese Beauty Season Three
Since early June, the third season of 'Vietnamese Beauty' has taken young TikTok creators on a journey across cultural sites from Phu Tho to Hue and Hanoi, inspiring youth to appreciate national heritage.
Starring in the program are popular TikTok content creators such as Ly The Huong, Dung Hoang Pham, Minh Thang, and K-ICM, among others. In the third season of “Vietnamese Beauty,” these creators invite audiences to journey with them, uncoveringmany unique cultural heritages through eight-hour unedited livestream sessions on the platform.
At the first stop, the Hung Kings Temple relic site and Xuan Son National Park, the program presents unique challenges, such as blindfolded banh chung wrapping and a storytelling competition about Prince Lang Lieu (later the 7th Hung King), as well as Xoan singing by artisans.
In Ninh Binh, viewers follow the content creators to the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital to admire the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex and Mua Caves. Meanwhile, Hanoi stops include the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Vietnam Military History Museum, traditional water puppet shows, the Ngoc Son Temple, the Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Hanoi Flag Tower.
The Hanoi livestream session witnessed a record 420,000 views on TikTok, thanks to informative and engaging content from Manh Tien Khoi, Huong Ly, and Minh Thang.
"As digital content creators, we must provide the public with accurate and factual information in a simple way. By livestreaming from historical and cultural sites, we have the opportunity to learn more, experience the heritage, and realize how wonderful Vietnam is. Pack your suitcase and go explore," said TikToker Huong Ly.
A livestream of Phu Tho Xoan singing. Photo courtesy of the Organizing Board of Vietnamese Beauty Season Three
In a similar vein, the Local Essence Illustration Contest, recently organized by UNESCO and the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, attracted over 400 young artists who submitted 550 works offering a vivid, diverse, and surprising cultural map of Vietnam as seen by young people. The entries range from details imbued with identity to experience-rich storytelling through pictures.
The three entries that won the Excellence Award were Chu Dau Ceramic Soul by Trieu Tuong Vy, Alleyway Dog Tease by Nguyen Hoang Tuan Anh, and Hanoi Awakes by Nguyen Mai Huong, all of which offer novel perspectives on local culture and heritage.
As the Organizing Board expected, the contest became a fascinating gathering of creative perspectives and rustic feelings from young artists from many different lands, thereby evoking local pride and spreading indigenous cultural values through illustrations.
Young people are means by which heritage values are inherited and spread
TikTokers Manh Tien Khoi and Huong Ly showcase the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in a live stream. Photo courtesy of the Organizing Board of Vietnamese Beauty Season Three.
In recent years, the preservation of national cultural heritage has piqued the interest of many young people in various fields. Through digital technology, social networking sites, and new perspectives, many young people have made heritage more accessible to the public in an engaging way.
According to Dr. Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts, the number of visitors to the museum has risen significantly compared to previous years. A survey shows that, in addition to traditional information channels, the public learns about the museum thanks to its channels on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, as well as video clips posted by young visitors.
"The young are the conduit that links the museum with the wider public at home and abroad," said Dr. Minh.
TikToker Dung Hoang Pham shared his intentions: "As long as national culture exists, the nation exists. Through the program Vietnamese Beauty, we hope to expose many young people, especially Gen Z, to Vietnamese cultural heritage.”
Recently, the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Support Fund and Hanoi National University of Education’s Faculty of History recently partnered to develop preservation plans, fostering stronger ties between academia, the community, and youth in heritage conservation.
The clip Chu Dau Ceramic Soul by Trieu Tuong Vy won the Excellence Award in the Local Essence illustration contest. Photo: UNESCO Vietnam Office
The partnership aims to innovate approaches to disseminating cultural heritage and devise effective action plans. It encourages extensive community participation, especially among the youth, who play a bridging role in inheriting and spreading heritage values to future generations.
Bui Hoai Son, Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Cultural and Social Affairs, highly commended young people for creating new products from the nation's traditional cultural materials and for contributing to the development of cultural industries with a Vietnamese identity. These efforts promote diversity and richness in this field by offering freshness and creativity.
"In addition, young producers often blend modern trends with traditional culture in their products, promoting cultural tourism and offering visitors new experiences to foster local economic development while protecting cultural heritage," said Dr. Son.
