Strengthening cooperation with UNESCO World Heritage Center, ICOMOS to build the dossier to restore Kinh Thien Palace

On the afternoon of July 24, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Deputy Minister and Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Nguyen Minh Vu received an interdisciplinary delegation from the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to advise on the conservation and promotion of the value of the World Heritage site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

Permanent Deputy Minister, Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Nguyen Minh Vu received an interdisciplinary delegation from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Attending the meeting were Secretary General of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy Le Thi Hong Van; Director of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center Nguyen Thanh Quang; and 4 senior experts from the World Heritage Center and ICOMOS.

Speaking at the reception, Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu expressed his delight at the continuous development of the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and UNESCO, especially between Vietnam and the World Heritage Center and ICOMOS - partners who have been accompanying and supporting Vietnam in the process of documenting, preserving and promoting World Cultural Heritages. At the same time, he emphasized that this cooperation is increasingly practical, effective and sustainable through delegation exchanges, technical consultation, and capacity building for heritage teams in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu highly appreciated the valuable support that UNESCO and ICOMOS have given to Vietnam in registering the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex as a World Cultural Heritage, affirming that this is not only a source of pride for Vietnam but also a testament to the efforts to preserve and conserve the common heritage values of humanity.

In particular, the Deputy Minister emphasized the strategic importance of the World Heritage site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel - a place where the depth of history and the soul of the Vietnamese people for more than a millennium converge. In particular, the return of the Hoang Dao axis and the restoration of Kinh Thien Palace have profound symbolic significance, contributing to arousing the national spirit and affirming the Vietnamese cultural identity in the integration era.

The Deputy Minister said that since Thang Long Imperial Citadel was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 2010, Vietnam has made efforts to preserve, research and conduct archaeological excavations to gradually clarify the scale, structure and value of this Heritage Complex.

The 2023 consultation phase and this working trip of the expert team are important milestones in the process of building the Dossier to restore Kinh Thien Palace - a sacred space associated with traditional national rituals through many dynasties.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu proposed that UNESCO and ICOMOS continue to support Vietnam in completing the dossier to restore Kinh Thien Palace to submit to the World Heritage Committee in 2026. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu hopes that UNESCO and ICOMOS experts will continue to accompany, closely advise, and support Vietnam in completing the dossier to be submitted to the World Heritage Committee for consideration at the 48th Session scheduled to take place in July 2026, contributing to realizing the aspiration to restore Kinh Thien Palace - a national cultural and historical symbol in the heart of the world heritage of Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

On behalf of the delegation, Mr. George Abungu - a senior expert in the field of heritage conservation, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome of the Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and highly appreciated the professional preparation and coordination of the Vietnamese authorities.

He congratulated Vietnam on the inscription of the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex, and expressed his deep impression on the massive amount of work that Vietnam has done at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel after being allowed to dismantle existing structures for archaeological research.

Mr. Abungu affirmed that Vietnam is on the right track, fully complying with the Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, the recommendations of UNESCO and ICOMOS as well as the relevant resolutions of the World Heritage Committee. He highly appreciated the scientific results achieved in establishing the foundation, morphology and structure of Kinh Thien Palace - important bases for implementing the restoration of the project.

According to him, Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a typical model in the systematic conservation of heritage, at the same time opening up a new, comprehensive approach to conservation combined with restoration. He pledged that the World Heritage Center and ICOMOS will continue to support Vietnam to the maximum in the restoration process, especially aiming for success at the 48th Session, affirming that "Vietnam's success is also our success".

Immediately after the working session, the interdisciplinary expert delegation left Hanoi to continue their field survey at the Complex of Hue Monuments - Vietnam's first world heritage site - and traditional craft villages such as Bat Trang and the glazed tile making village to better understand Vietnam's capacity, human resources and techniques in heritage restoration.

Permanent Deputy Minister, Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Nguyen Minh Vu took a photo with the interdisciplinary delegation of the World Heritage Center - ICOMOS. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tang-cuong-hop-tac-voi-trung-tam-di-san-the-gioi-unesco-icomos-xay-dung-ho-so-phuc-dung-chinh-dien-kinh-thien-322195.html