Play to Preserve the Past: Vietnamese Intangible Heritage XR

Play to Preserve the Past is the convergence of two worlds – my Vietnamese heritage and an unwavering commitment to safeguarding our intangible cultural heritage through augmented reality (AR).

In an era of rapid urbanisation and globalisation, countries like Vietnam are witnessing the erosion of their invaluable intangible heritage. AR serves as the medium to bring the audience into the heart of Vietnamese heritage. The series of apps ‘Play to Preserve the Past’ offers immersive cultural experiences that bridge spatial and generational gaps, introduce a contemporary image of Vietnamese tradition to international audiences, while reclaiming Vietnam’s narratives through lesser-known aspects of our heritage.

Modernity has changed the way we celebrate festivals over time, and in this digital era, when portable device becomes an integral part of our daily lives, this work asks: how can our cultural heritage evolve with AR technologies, becoming a living heritage in its own right? This journey is not merely an academic pursuit but an introspective journey reflecting human advancement in a technology-dominated era.

Standing at a critical juncture where traditions evolve with technology, we must always explore the complexities of cultural authenticity and technology usage in design for heritage safeguarding. This work hopes to inspire creative practitioners to become responsible “future ancestors”, ensuring sustainable digitisation of their heritage through creative practice.

《Play to Preserve the Past》实现了两大领域的交汇融合：其一为我所承载的越南文化遗产，其二则是通过增强现实（augmented reality, AR）技术守护我们的非物质文化遗产的不渝承诺。

在快速城市化与全球化的时代浪潮中，越南等国正面临着其珍贵非物质文化遗产日渐消逝的困境。AR技术可作为媒介，带领受众沉浸式触及越南文化遗产的核心。《Play to Preserve the Past》系列应用程序打造沉浸式文化体验，弥合空间与代际鸿沟，向国际受众展现越南传统的当代风貌，同时通过挖掘我们文化遗产中鲜为人知的面向，重塑越南的文化叙事。

随着时代变迁，现代性重塑了我们庆祝节庆的方式；在当下的数字时代，便携式设备早已成为日常生活不可或缺的组成部分。本研究不禁发问：我们的文化遗产该如何与AR技术协同演进，最终成为真正的活态遗产？这一探索绝非单纯的学术研究，更是一场内省之旅，映照出技术主导时代下人类文明的发展轨迹。

在传统与技术协同演进的关键节点，我们必须深入探索遗产保护设计中，文化真实性与技术应用的复杂博弈。本研究期望激励创意从业者成为负责任的‘未来先者’，通过创意实践实现文化遗产的可持续数字化保护。