AR Neighbourhoods: Augmenting the Ordinary City as a Tool to Enhance Authentic Tourism in Post-COVID Vietnam

This proof-of-concept project will create a set of Augmented Reality installations along the Kenh Te canal between districts 4 and 7. It highlights two interrelated research opportunities. The first is the recognition of the ordinary spaces of Saigon, specifically those that are located around the Kenh Te Canal as a living heritage. Everyday living spaces are often overlooked when recognising heritage within the city, and the environment around the canal can be understood as a future heritage. 

The second opportunity presents the installations as a means to encourage the continuing revitalisation of the tourism industry, by encouraging a more diverse engagement with heritage in Ho Chi Minh City. This project will also develop a creative archive of materials collected in the research, alongside the creative works developed form them.

Through innovative uses of  Augmented Reality this project will demonstrate the value of creativity to generate impact for the community through developing awareness and ownership of their cultural values. It will also enhance the appeal of this part of the city to tourists, and finally impact will be cemented through archiving the cultural heritages of the Kenh Te canal and its communities.