Folklore goes digital in Da Nang

In recent years, rapid urbanization has put many heritage assets at risk of fading away. Therefore, the application of digital technology to preserve and restore folklore documents is an effective way to maintain and promote the nation's precious cultural heritage.

Currently, the digitization of folklore documents is carried out in various forms such as image scanning, audio recording, video filming, or taking photos of ancient documents, for storage on digital platforms.

This facilitates the long-term preservation of unique values such as sounds (folk songs, ‘sac bua’ singing, ‘bai choi’ singing, ‘ho khoan’) images (‘Thien cau’ dance, ‘Cau ngu’, Long Chu and Muc Dong festivals, folk paintings and sculptures) or texts (royal decrees, riddles, folk songs and folktales) in digital space.

Musician Trinh Tuan Khanh, who has been involved in Quang Nam folk culture for many decades, shared “Using digital technology not only helps preserve and restore folk cultural and artistic documents but also opens up many opportunities to explore and develop them in a more creative and effective way".

For instance, digitizing folk games or oral riddles can both entertain, and introduce folk culture to the younger generation in a more interesting, easy and closer way.

Artists and creators can recreate folk tales and legends to suit the feelings and understanding of today's audiences.

There is no doubt that digital transformation is an inevitable and necessary trend for every country. And, culture, a fundamental and core issue, cannot lag behind other fields.

Through digital transformation and the application of new scientific and technological achievements, Da Nang can preserve and promote folk cultural values, thereby spreading the cultural life of the land and people of Da Nang to international friends.

Translated by MAI DUNG