In the joyous atmosphere of welcoming the New Year 2026, on the afternoon of December 30, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site, the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center officially premiered the performance Thang Long Capital using 3D mapping technology and launched the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Digital Experience Space.
The event not only marked the beginning of a series of cultural activities celebrating New Year 2026 and the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo, but also clearly demonstrated the capital’s determination to bring heritage into the digital era.
When History is Told Through Technology
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Quang, Director of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, emphasized that this is a concrete activity to implement the Hanoi Party Committee’s Resolution on digital transformation in the cultural sector. At the same time, it reflects the city’s role and responsibility in managing, preserving, and promoting the value of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site through a harmonious combination of traditional preservation and modern technology application.
The premiere of Thang Long Capital using 3D mapping technology and the Digital Experience Space.
The project, assigned by the Hanoi People’s Committee to the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, aims to innovate the approach to heritage, create a creative space, awaken historical memories, and allow the public and visitors to step into the thousand-year flow of Thang Long – Hanoi through highly interactive experiences.
With the theme “Echoes of the Ly Dynasty”, the performance Thang Long Capital recreates the glorious historical period of the dynasty that laid the foundation for Thang Long to become the political and cultural center of the nation. Against the backdrop of the Doan Mon architectural relic, large-scale 3D mapping technology transforms the real space into a “time gate,” taking viewers back to the year 1009, when the dragon soared to inaugurate the capital’s fortune.
Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha and other delegates press the button to launch the Thang Long Capital performance using 3D mapping technology and the modern Digital Experience Space.
Not limited to visual effects, the program is designed as an emotional journey, with representative historical segments such as “Mandate of the Soaring Dragon”, “Protecting the Nation and Ensuring People’s Peace”, and “Ly Dynasty Heritage Imprints”, harmoniously combining sound, light, and real-stage space. History thus is no longer dry documentation but comes alive artistically, vividly, and culturally profound.
Digital Experience Space – The “Soul” of the Digital Heritage Ecosystem
Running alongside the performance is the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Digital Experience Space, the technological highlight of the project. Six multi-sensory experience zones, from 3D Visual Mapping, Holobox Hologram, AI virtual reception, interactive information kiosks, AI costume selfie, to VR360, open a completely new approach to heritage.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Quang, Director of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, speaking at the event.
Here, technology is not merely an illustrative tool but serves as the “soul” connecting the past with the present. The public, especially the younger generation, can “touch history” and engage with the knowledge of the past through modern, visual, and easily accessible digital language.
According to the Organizing Committee, the performance “Kinh do Thang Long” and the Digital Experience Space were developed with four key objectives: bringing heritage closer to the public; creating a fresh approach to increase interaction and enhance the quality of the experience; enriching the cultural tourism products of the Capital; and effectively implementing Hanoi’s Digital Transformation Strategy and Cultural Industry Development Strategy through 2030, gradually forming a digital heritage ecosystem.
Leaders of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center also expressed their appreciation for the close attention and guidance of the leadership of the Hanoi Party Committee and the Hanoi People’s Committee, as well as the support of scientists, experts, and consulting, design, and construction units – crucial factors ensuring that the project was completed both on schedule and in compliance with the stringent requirements regarding the historical, cultural, and artistic values of the World Cultural Heritage.
Delegates visited the Digital Experience Space.
Alongside the “Flagpole Memories” experience tour, the launch of the “Kinh do Thang Long” performance and the Digital Experience Space has gradually formed a system of distinctive cultural products at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. These are not only new tourism products but also a declaration of a sustainable direction: preserving heritage through creativity and spreading traditional values through modern technology.
From the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a clear message is sent: a thousand-year-old heritage does not remain dormant in the past but can be vibrant, engaging, and inspiring in contemporary life, fully worthy of the outstanding universal value of the World Cultural Heritage and Hanoi’s pioneering role in the digital era.
Ngoc Chau
Thang Long Capital – When a Thousand-Year Heritage Steps into the Digital Space
According to “Urban Economy”