Since I was a child, I have been exposed to many handicraft products in my family, from Dong Ho paintings, Hang Trong to bamboo and rattan items, lacquer. As I grew up, I realized that those sophisticated products gradually disappeared, replaced by industrial products. That made me regret it" - Ngo Quy Duc talks about the fate of traditional culture.
Although he was deeply trained in information technology, his love for ethnic culture never cooled in the young man's heart. He sees technology as a powerful tool for connecting, to preserve and spread cultural beauty in the digital age.
It was from that concern that the project "We Lang" was born. This is an online platform to introduce stories, images, and products of traditional craft villages and connect artisans with the culture-loving community. But Bao Lang is not simply a website but a long-term passion of Germany for nearly 15 years, starting from traveling around the craft villages on the outskirts of Hanoi from 2006 to 2007.
At first, I went out out of curiosity, out of passion. But the more I went, the more I saw the precious values gradually being forgotten. I wonder how to not only preserve those things, but also continue to live in today's world," said Mr. Duc.
That journey was not smooth. The biggest challenge is probably loneliness. For a long time, I was almost alone, few partners were persistent enough to go the long way" - Quy Duc expressed. Convincing artisans who are familiar with traditional techniques and believe in technology is a big challenge.
A memory that he cannot forget is when he came to the village to make drums in Nam Dinh in 2019. With only one family in the profession, they were so desperate that they burned all their mold. Hearing them say they can't make a living from their profession, he was choked up. That was the moment Quy Duc told himself that if he did not do anything, those values would disappear forever.
With " Ve Lang", Quy Duc not only built a valuable digital document warehouse but also created a foundation for young artisans and designers to cooperate creatively. He organizes online - offline workshops, listens to user feedback to personalize the craft village tourism experience, thereby adjusting the program to be closer and more attractive.
Not stopping there, Quy Duc also founded the "Bach Nghe Ward" space where young people who love culture gather to research, create and develop craft village products. He believes that technology is the door to open the future of traditional culture.
virtual reality technology, enhanced reality can recreate the space of a lively craft village. Gamification will turn learning about history and culture into an interesting journey of discovery. Digital libraries, cultural chatbots, content creation platforms all help young people see culture as not strange but very familiar and accessible" - Quy Duc said.
Quy Duc's approach is not to "apply technology to culture", but to "make culture a subtle technology platform". He does not force artisans to be proficient in technology. Sometimes just having their children help film videos and post on the internet is enough to make a difference. The important thing is to build trust. When they see that their products are well-known and have orders, they will be more open.
Facing the trend of fast-paced entertainment and attractive content, Quy Duc chose another path: tell realistic, touching and in-depth stories. Mr. Duc confided: Behind each handicraft product is a generation of people, a village, a heritage. When people understand that story, they will appreciate it a lot more. It is the uniqueness and cultural values that make handicraft products sustainable.
After nearly 20 years of perseverance, Quy Duc is not only a technology maker, but has become a bridge between the past and the present, between the traditional craft village and the younger generation.
Quy Duc shared: The happiest thing for me is to meet and learn from artisans - my great teachers. And when I saw young people starting to fall in love and become curious about culture, I knew I was on the right track.
Looking to the future, the young artist wants to continue developing "Bach Nghe Ward" into an international competitive cultural creative center, promoting Vietnamese handicraft products to the world. He also set a goal of inspiring and paving the way for the next generation. That guy doesn't want culture to be preserved like a museum. He wants it to live, move and become the true pride of Vietnamese people today.
