Most recently, the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture has been honourably introduced in Google Arts & Culture's collections as part of the Wonders of Viet Nam project. This has been seen as a golden opportunity to make the image of the museum, and that of Da Nang at large, more vivid and memorable to the international community, as well as to help the museum reach new audiences around the world.

Visitors using automatic audio guides at the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture

By visiting the website https://artsandculture.google.com/story/da-nang-museum-of-cham-sculpture/YAIy5dyN4OuwJQ, you can explore this highly-recommended place in Da Nang through beautiful photos and clear and concise introduction information.

Ms Thanh Thuy, a Vietnamese American woman, said that Google Arts & Culture is an online platform where the general public can access high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations around the world. It features content from over 2,000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

Thuy said that she was quite impressed with the museum's information and photos introduced on Google Arts & Culture. She expressed her belief that by being introduced on the famous art and culture online platform, the Museum of Cham Sculpture will be brought closer to the public worldwide.

Ms Ha Lam Tu Quynh, Director of Communications and Public Relations at Google Asia Pacific, remarked, the Google Arts & Culture announced the Wonders of Viet Nam project on online platform in late January to honour and promote the country’s UNESCO-recognised natural landscapes, and tangible and intangible cultural heritages to the world.

The project has been jointly implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with the departments of tourism in Quang Nam, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Binh provinces, and Da Nang. The project has also been joined by the National Geographic award-winning Vietnamese photographer Tran Tuan Viet, and the jungle and cave adventure tour operator Oxalis Adventure.

It features 35 exhibitions with 1,369 photos, panorama pictures and videos in both Vietnamese and English languages.

“Given how severely the tourism industry all over the world, and particularly in Viet Nam, has been affected by COVID-19 pandemic, we knew it was even more important to make the ‘Wonders of Viet Nam’ project accessible for the world, so more people can experience what Viet Nam is all about”, said Director Quynh.

Together with the Son Doong Cave, the Hoi An Lantern Festival and the Hue royal court music, the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture has been honourably introduced in the first stage of the project. The main reason is thought to be that the museum is one of the world's most famous collections of Cham artifacts, and Google Arts & Culture wants to help the public across the world to explore the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture through digital technology.

In order to participate in the project, the museum has provided the Google Arts & Culture's developers with more than 40 high-quality photos, along with detailed information about nearly 20 typical artifacts on display at the museum’s four galleries, namely Tra Kieu, My Son, Dong Duong and Thap Mam. Additionally, the museum's six objects which has earned Viet Nam's national treasure status, namely the Ganesha and Gajasimha statutes, the Tara Bodhisattva Statue, and the Tra Kieu, My Son E1 and Dong Duong pedestals, have been introduced through digital technology.

Mr Ly Hoa Binh, an expert from the museum, said the selected items were able to convey the special values ​​of the Champa culure. Specifically, many exhibits convey historical, cultural and religious messages associated with the UNESCO-recognised cultural heritages of humanity, including the My Son sanctuary in Quang Nam Province.

Mr Binh also remarked both directly going into the museum or viewing a digital exhibition at the Google Arts & Culture will offer the public a deeper insight into the Da Nang-based Museum of Cham Sculpture.

Director of the museum Ho Tan Tuan said, in an effort to adapt to the new normal in the light of COVID-19 outbreak, his museum has actively promoted communications and introduction activities through digital technology. In particular, 3D scanning technology has been put into trial use in the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture since late September 2020.

In the coming time,  the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture will continue to promote the application of digital transformation in its advertisement activities such as using audio guide services and organising virtual tours in a bid to promote the museum to the public amid the burgeoning Industry 4.0.

By NGOC HA – Translated by M.D