Helping tourists enjoy the Dau ho virtual reality game

In the trips to visit Hue Imperial Citadel, many tourists are very interesting to get the chance to “live” in the ancient imperial sight which was reenacted through the technology of extended reality (XR) and virtual reality (VR).

In viewing with virtual reality, Ms. Thanh Thao, a tourist from Can Tho had an extremely realistic experience as if she was traveling back to the Imperial space of the Nguyen Dynasty hundreds of years ago. “I went back to the XIX century and felt like I truly wandered in the shady gardens of the Imperial Citadel”, enthusiastically shared Ms. Thao.

Accompanying Ms. Thao, Ms. Thu Hien chose to experience the game Dau ho (a popular game during the Nguyen Dynasty, favored by the king and officials) using advanced VR technology. “It’s a very interesting technological service, like a real game in reality,” Ms. Hien said after putting on the VR headset and playing the Dau ho VR game with seven other visitors.

Ms. Park Eunjung, the director of IV COM, stated that the company developed the Dau ho VR game with “the aim of providing visitors with a new, vivid experience of traditional Vietnamese games through VR content. This also helps promote the cultural heritage of Hue more widely”.

At Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities, 10 Nguyen Dynasty artifacts have been embedded with NFC chips and identified using Nomion technology - Digital Identification of Things ensures transparency and uniqueness of the products in both physical and digital spaces. Accordingly, these digitally identified artifacts will also be displayed in the digital space.

“By simply accessing the website https://museehue.vn, you can fully explore and admire the sharp 360-degree view of the artifacts, interact in multiple dimensions, and experience captivating historical stories within an authentic historical and cultural space”, said Deputy Director of Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities Truong Quy Man.

Recently, the relic site of Hai Van Frontier Post has been digitized with a 3D tourism map, offering a novel exploration journey that combines history with modern technology at this scenic site known as “the World Most Majestic Frontier Post”.

Visitors just need to use their smartphones to tap the NFC-enabled check-in boards at the attractions. These allow them to instantly access information about each area, historical events, and the cultural significance of each point at Hai Van Frontier Post. This is not just about providing information; it also allows visitors to truly immerse themselves in the flow of history, vividly experiencing each moment that this place has witnessed and marked.

The 3D digital tourism map also opens up the possibility of remote exploration, allowing visitors to interact with 9 important relic sites of Hai Van Frontier Post from anywhere in the world. Digital technology has transcended the boundaries of space and time for Hue’s heritage, elevating the experience of cultural heritage to new heights.

According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center, in the context of advancing technology, the application of technology in the heritage field has gone beyond simply uploading data to the internet. It aims to make heritage accessible in various forms within the digital environment, thereby creating added value from the heritage and for the heritage.

“Visitors experiencing and exploring relics/artifacts in this way not only get to enjoy them realistically but also “live” in heritage through practical interactions. From this, fostering the preservation, enhancement, and dissemination of cultural values from the past to the present,” expressed Mr. Trung.

Story and photo: Lien Minh