Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – A new livestream series, “Cham Di san – Ky uc do thi” (Touching Heritage – Urban Memories), has been launched in Ho Chi Minh City, marking a major step forward in using digital platforms to bring the city's cultural heritage closer to younger generations.
The programme was organised by the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Support Fund, TikTok, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam. It aims to connect history with the digital age by presenting the city's heritage through immersive livestream experiences.
Running throughout June and July, the series takes viewers to three iconic areas of the city – Sai Gon, Ben Thanh and Cho Lon wards. Audiences have a chance to explore the sites alongside popular content creators, such as Nguyen Duc Huy, Hung Luong and My Thien via the official TikTok channel Di San Viet Nam (Vietnam Heritage).
The livestreams feature many of Ho Chi Minh City's best-known landmarks, from the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, the Municipal Theatre to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum and Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, where modern life and historical values converge in Sai Gon ward.
Meanwhile, Ben Thanh ward offers a rich journey through the city’s history, home to the Independence Palace - a landmark witness to major historical events, Ben Thanh market - one of the city’s enduring commercial icons, as well as the Metro station and the Fine Arts Museum, which showcases some of the city’s finest artistic heritage.
Cho Lon ward will take audiences on a journey through the distinctive cultural heritage of Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinese community. The Tue Thanh assembly hall, known for its unique architecture, along with the historic houses of Hao Si Phuong, On Lang pagoda, Minh Huong communal house and Hai Thuong Lan Ong street will be brought vividly to life on the small screen.
Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Support Fund, said the programme is designed to inspire pride in Ho Chi Minh City's rich cultural identity.
Nguyen Ngoc Hoi, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, said the initiative creates a meaningful bridge between heritage and technology, tradition and modernity, while promoting the city as a dynamic, creative metropolis that continues to preserve its distinctive cultural identity.
A representative of TikTok Vietnam said the platform has been supporting the digitalisation and promotion of Vietnam's cultural, culinary and architectural heritage, with livestream technology helping overcome geographical barriers and bring heritage closer to wider audiences.
Cham Di San – Ky Uc Do Thi is the first programme launched under Ho Chi Minh City's dLocals initiative – a strategy to bring local heritage and culture closer to the public through digital platforms. The project reflects the city's efforts to combine cultural preservation with technological innovation and expand public access to heritage in the digital era.
Through this innovative approach, Saigon–Ho Chi Minh City's history, architecture and cultural heritage are being brought beyond museums and books into the digital space, making them more accessible to younger generations who will preserve and carry these values forward./.
