Government guides digital transformation to help better preserve cultural heritage

The Government has clearly specified digital transformation activities in the field of cultural heritage in a newly issued decree that details a number of articles and providing measures to implement the Law on Cultural Heritage.

Decree 308/2025/ND-CP of November 28, which enters into force on January 15, 2026, mandates that digital transformation activities serving the preservation of cultural heritage include the building, management, maintenance and operation of digital platforms and the information system for management of the national database on cultural heritage, the elaboration of digital data standards, and the creation of digital data to facilitate the public communication about cultural heritage via the digital network.

Under the new decree, digital transformation activities in the field of cultural heritage may not cause harm to the integrity and originality of cultural heritages while guaranteeing the rights of cultural heritage owners. Technical infrastructure for these activities must satisfy the requirements for digitizing, storing, interconnecting, linking and safely and securely utilizing data on digital platforms. Digital data must accurately reflect constituents and important characteristics and values of cultural heritage according to appropriate standards during the collection of digital data on cultural heritage.

The new decree empowers provincial-level People’s Committees, ministries, sectors and central agencies and organizations to mobilize resources for the building, updating, maintenance, management, and operation of national databases to serve the digital transformation, modernization of state management activities, and enhanced protection and promotion of values of cultural heritages.

The National Database on Cultural Heritage will be developed for the purpose of storing, managing, protecting, exploiting and promoting cultural heritage values in the digital environment and serving the socio-economic development while ensuring the compliance with the provisions on management of national databases of the laws on information technology, data and electronic transactions.

Regarding the application of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation in the field of cultural heritage, the decree assigns the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with related ministries, sectors and central agencies and organizations in formulating projects and schemes on technical standards for the application of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in professional jobs and the management of display, interpretation, preservation, embellishment, restoration, practical performance and hand-down of cultural heritage.

- (VLLF)