When folk culture "goes live" digitally

Phong Le Village Shepherd Festival. Photo: MINH KHUÊ

In Da Nang, urbanization has been taking place quite rapidly in recent times, causing many heritages to be at risk of being lost. Therefore, applying digital technology to preserve and restore folk cultural documents is an effective way to maintain and spread the nation's precious cultural heritage.

Digital transformation application

Currently, the digitization of folk cultural documents is carried out in many forms such as scanning photos, recording audio, video or taking pictures of ancient documents, to store on digital platforms.

Thanks to that, unique values such as sounds (folk songs, talisman singing, Bai Choi singing, antiphonal singing...), images (Thien Cau dance, Cau Ngu festival, Long Chu, Muc Dong Phong Le village, folk paintings and sculptures...) or texts (royal decrees, riddles, folk songs, folk tales...) are preserved in a long-term, sustainable way in digital space.

Master Do Thanh Tan, Vice President of the Da Nang City Folklore Association, said that building an online database on folk culture not only helps to effectively store and manage digital documents, but also expands the ability to search, access and share information with the community.

To bring folk culture to more people, it is essential to use social networks and online platforms to spread and promote the materials.

Social media forums can help connect and engage with communities interested in traditional culture. This can also provide communities with new learning opportunities and increased awareness of cultural heritage.

Musician Trinh Tuan Khanh has been involved with Quang Nam's folk culture for decades. He has restored and recorded valuable footage of the Shepherd Festival and folk games.

He shared: “The use of digital technology not only helps preserve and restore folk cultural and artistic documents but also opens up many opportunities to explore and develop these contents in a more creative and effective way.

For example, developing digital applications for folk games or oral puzzles is both entertaining and helps introduce and educate about folk culture to the younger generation in a more interesting, easy and closer way.”

Artists and creators can reinvent folk tales and legends to suit the sensibilities and understanding of today's generation.

Innovation in content and presentation makes the show more appealing to modern audiences. This may include the use of audio, visual or online performance techniques to recreate folk games, folk performances or other oral performances.

Podcasts, television programs or online radio channels will contribute to spreading and disseminating cultural content effectively and vividly.

Bringing digital transformation closer to researchers

Currently, most of the folklore researchers in Da Nang are old, so accessing digital technology is difficult.

Therefore, it is necessary to organize information exchange sessions and online workshops to help traditional artists learn and apply new techniques, as well as encourage creativity in performance.

From there, we can gain a deeper understanding of how digital technology drives change and development in folklore forms, as well as its impact on communities.

The combination of tradition and modern creativity is an important step to maintain the vitality and appeal of traditional art in today's society.

Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Khanh, Lecturer at Duy Tan University, said that there should be more mechanisms and policies to encourage young people to participate more in folk culture digitalization activities.

Young people are very creative, enthusiastic, passionate about their jobs and dedication. Their youthful spirit and energy will contribute to the longevity of folk culture.

It can be said that digital transformation is an inevitable and necessary trend that every country must implement. In which, culture is a fundamental and core issue, and it cannot be slow and behind other fields.

Through digital transformation, applying new scientific and technological achievements to preserve, promote and spread the values of folk culture, opening big doors for the world to know more about the cultural life of the land and people of Da Nang.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/khi-van-hoa-dan-gian-len-song-so-3299039.html