Hanoi (VNA) – Over the past year, French-Vietnamese research teams have worked tirelessly to document, analsze, and showcase Hanoi’s special heritage, resulting in the creation of four thematic heritage journeys.
Speaking at a ceremony to launch four digital heritage itineraries in Hanoi on December 3, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet said that introducing these heritage journeys to the public lays a foundation for a new phase – building a city where heritage knowledge drives sustainable development, enhances cultural-tourism appeal, and serves as a training tool for young people.
France will continue to accompany Vietnam on this path with enthusiasm, attentiveness, and commitment as always, he affirmed.
Accordingly, the digital heritage itineraries use interactive maps and the H-Heritage app, and QR code scanning at multiple relic sites across Hanoi, offering travellers a rich cultural experience rooted in traditional beliefs and historic relics.
Ancient relics awaken
Few places reveal ancient relics quietly amid a modern urban life like in Hanoi, where the past and the present intertwine in streets, houses, and daily routines. Yet much of this heritage remains modest and hidden—temples, shrines, and communal houses tucked away in alleys, seldom systematically showcased.
To address this, the “Hanoi Heritage Tourism Itinerary” programme was launched to help residents and visitors recognise and engage with the city’s heritage through a new approach that combines academic research with modern digital technology.
As a science coordinator involved in the project, Dr. Nguyen Thi Hiep from Expertise France said the project adopts a combined approach of field surveys, archival analysis, training, and mapping technology application.
Accordingly, the team has surveyed over 100 heritage sites across Hanoi, reviving an extensive archive in French, Han-Nom, and Vietnamese. Each site is vividly documented in complete digital records, mapped electronically, and integrated into the H-Heritage app, allowing visitors to explore history right from their smartphones.
The heritage itineraries cater to all audiences—not only for experiential tourism but also as a tool for culture learning, education, and research resources for students and scientists. One platform integrates multiple functions, Hiep said.
Notably, a key achievement of the project is to develop a website introducing online heritage journeys and a mobile app with QR code access, enabling domestic and foreign visitors to explore Hanoi’s heritage comprehensively, quickly, and conveniently.
Experts consider this a significant step in bringing heritage knowledge closer to the public and tourists, transforming sightseeing, learning, and research into an interactive and flexible experience.
French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet noted that a comprehensive study was conducted for each site along the four heritage itineraries. These included scientific descriptions, historical and contemporary images, verified historical references, and data from the archives and inventories of the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO). The materials were selected, processed, systematised, digitised, and integrated into the map, all connected in an interactive digital system accessible via QR codes and the H-Heritage app.
More than just experiences
This initiative is part of the FEF-R Patrimoine project, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs through the French Embassy and the French Institute in Vietnam (IFV). It was implemented in collaboration with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (USSH – VNU), the EFEO, and the University Agency of the Francophonie (AUF).
Brochet emphasised that these itineraries serve as effective educational tools for schools and universities, cultural communication resources for guides, museums, and local authorities, as well as valuable methodological models for researchers. They offer a fresh perspective on Hanoi—a historic yet vibrant capital where tradition intertwines with modern challenges./.
