Heritage site digitization and digital maps of red addresses: ideas for schools, Youth Unions and communes

What is heritage site digitization?

Heritage digitization means recording a site's images, spaces, artifacts, materials and stories and putting them online so people can view and learn about it on phones and computers at any time. It does not replace the real site; it helps the site become better known and better preserved.

A historic site digitization project usually combines several parts:

• Photos and video

  Capture the whole view, architectural details, artifacts, steles and festival activities.

• 360° virtual tour

  360° panoramas linked into a tour that viewers rotate and move through.

• 3D models

  3D digitization of sites, artifacts and monuments to view from every angle and zoom into details.

• Materials and stories

  How the site came to be and the events and people linked to it, written briefly and clearly.

• Audio narration

  Narration recorded as voice, played on site by QR code or during the virtual tour.

• Digital map

  The site's location on a map, with directions and links to nearby sites.

Why does digitizing historic sites matter for education and tourism?

• Livelier history lessons

  Teachers open the virtual tour in class so students “visit” the site before a field trip.

• Long-term preservation

  Images, materials and witnesses' accounts are saved before they deteriorate or fade away.

• Promoting local tourism

  Visitors find the site online, preview the space, learn how to get there and hear narration on site.

• Open at all times

  People far away, older people and people with disabilities can still take a virtual tour.

• Bringing the community together

  Residents and members contribute photos and stories and take more pride in local traditions.

What are red addresses? What does a digital map of red addresses include?

“Red addresses” is the familiar name for revolutionary historic sites, heritage houses, memorials and martyrs' cemeteries, places marking local historical events and figures. They are often chosen for heritage education and “back to the roots” trips by Youth Union and Pioneer units and schools.

Whether you are looking into red addresses in Da Nang, Hue, Thai Nguyen, Can Tho, Quang Ninh or any other province or city, building a digital map works the same way. Many localities and Youth Union organizations already have digital maps of red addresses and use them regularly. A good map usually includes:

• Points on the map

  Each red address has an accurate location, grouped by commune or ward or by theme.

• A page for each point

  Photos, a short history, audio narration and a 360° tour where available.

• Directions and suggested routes

  Open turn-by-turn directions on phones; suggested routes linking nearby points.

• QR codes on site

  A QR board at each point that opens exactly that point's page.

Digitization formats suited to schools, youth cells, communes and wards

You do not need everything at once. Small units can choose one or a few formats within their capacity:

• QR codes at the site

  The simplest start: a short introduction page with photos and narration, with a QR code at the gate or information board.

• 360° virtual tour

  A few 360° points are enough to convey the space; suitable for small sites and heritage houses.

• Digital map of red addresses

  Suitable for commune or ward Youth Unions or schools presenting many local sites in one place.

• Audio narration

  A few minutes of clearly read narration lets visitors explore on their own without a guide.

• 3D models of artifacts

  Suitable for valuable artifacts, monuments and steles that deserve close inspection.

Heritage digitization plan: step by step

• Step 1: Survey and choose sites

  List the sites in the area, visit them to check their condition and choose priority sites and a format for each.

• Step 2: Ask the site managers for permission

  Contact the management board, local authority or caretaker to ask permission to photograph and place QR codes, and agree on content.

• Step 3: Shoot photos and 360° panoramas

  Pick a bright, quiet time; capture wide views, details and artifacts; note the name and position of each shot.

• Step 4: Collect and verify information

  Take materials from reliable sources such as the site's management board, local history books and witnesses, and cross-check before use.

• Step 5: Write narration and record

  Keep it short and easy to listen to; ask the site managers to review it; record with a clear voice.

• Step 6: Publish and place QR codes

  Put it on a website or digital map, test it on several phones, print weatherproof QR boards and place them at the site.

Tips for photographing and collecting materials at historic sites

• Respect places of worship

  Dress properly, keep quiet and ask before photographing shrines, altars and precious artifacts.

• Mind people in the frame

  Avoid clear shots of residents' or visitors' faces without their consent.

• Take notes on the spot

  Note the point's name, shooting direction and text on steles and signs so the narration is accurate later.

• Do not guess

  If information is unclear, mark it “being researched” or leave it out rather than writing assumptions.

• Cite sources

  Old photos, accounts and quotes should say whose they are and where they came from.

Using digital heritage in lessons and Youth Union and Pioneer activities

• History and local studies lessons

  Open the virtual tour on a projector; students observe and answer questions about the site during class.

• Preparing for field trips

  Students preview the site so the trip is focused; afterwards they write reflections and add photos.

• “Back to the roots” trips

  Youth Union and Pioneer units follow a route on the red address map, scanning QR codes for narration at each point.

• Quizzes and discovery games

  Question sets on local red addresses for flag ceremonies and school festivals.

• Young narrators

  Students practise writing and reading narration, recorded as part of the digital site.

Maintaining and updating digital heritage

• Assign someone in charge

  The commune or ward Youth Union, the school or the site management board updates content with its own admin account.

• Check QR codes regularly

  Test-scan QR codes, replace faded boards and check that links still work.

• Add content over time

  Add festival photos, new activities, witnesses' stories and new sites to the map.

• Track views

  Views and scans show which points draw interest and help plan the next activities.

Common mistakes in heritage digitization

• Unverified information

  Unsourced articles from the internet lead to wrong names, years or events.

• Dark, blurry or tilted photos

  Rushed, poorly lit shots make the virtual tour hard to view and less appealing.

• QR codes leading to error pages

  Temporary links, expired shared files or documents that do not open on phones.

• Built but unused

  Not introduced to schools and residents or tied to activities, so few people know about it.