Le Thanh Vinh Institute for Conservation of Monuments Ministry of Culture and Information - Vietnam
Vietnam has diversified cultural heritage system, spreading over the country. Belong to the system, there are 5 heritages has been recorded into world heritage list. These heritages are diversified and unique including cultural heritage and natural heritage. -The complex of architectural monument of Hue (recorded in 1993) - Ha Long Bay (recorded in 1994, 2000) - MySon Sanctuary (recorded in 1999) - Hoi An Ancient Town (recorded in 1999) - PhongNha KeBang National park (recorded in 2003)
The complex of architectural monument of Hue is a distinguished evidence for power of feudalism in Vietnam that is pinnacle at the time of early 19th century. It also can be seen as a salient instance of Eastern feudalism capital.
Ha Long Bay is recorded with two criterions as natural landscape (1994) and unique geological characteristics (2000).
Cham architectural monuments in MySon Sanctuary (world heritage recorded in 1999), on the other hand, is a special example for cultural unifying and also unique evidence for a past important civilization of Asia.
Hoi An Ancient Town (world heritage recorded in 1999) is recognized as a symbol of unity of cultures in the pass, a salient example of traditional resident
PhongNha KeBang National park is an impression evidence of the Earth history, a very important place providing information about geology, geomorphology and annual geological history in the area
Ceremonial music and songs of Hue (Imperial music and songs of Vietnam) and cultural space of Gong in Highland has been recorded into proclaim list of masterpieces of immaterial culture and orally transmitted of humanity.
The system of Vietnam monuments was heavily damaged because of wars. Therefore, from 1975 and early 80 s decade, conservation of monument activity in Vietnam has concentrated into damaged monument saving. Such firstly exertion of monument preservation aimed to terminate the monument s destruction process. Moreover, it also aimed to improve natural and social environment that influences on monuments. In this period, policies of monument conservation have been amended and manpower of monument preservation also has been established and grown up from practical. Scientific basis, specialty theory has been built up and consolidated suitable with specific condition of Vietnam. International co-operation in the field of monument conservation and restoration is also interested
Since nineties, cultural heritage conservation in Vietnam has been continuously interested. Vietnam government and community more and more have paid their attention into heritage conservation. Hundred of historical and cultural monuments, famous landscape have been preserved. Technician of heritage conservation is more and more grown up. Legality documentation of cultural heritage is continual amended. In this period, conservation activities have now been concentrated into increasing scientific quality. Cultural heritage conservation in Vietnam is also interested and supported by international community
Recently, from 11 to 13 April, 2006 Vietnam committee of UNESCO, Heritage Department of Ministry of culture and information, and Provinces (with world heritage) have just held the IV Conference in Vietnam World Heritage Conservation in order to estimate and exchange experiences between World heritage area in Vietnam. Following the estimation of achievement and unachievable, there are several practical experiences for world heritage conservation: 1. Management standardization 2. Participation of the community 3. Colleration of conservation and development 4. Reinforcement of scientific base 5. Manpower training 6. International relations
1. Management standardization: It is necessary to have a unity organization that will be a leader of all operation concerned in heritage area including services and conservation activities. This organization needs to be standard established with efficiency staff to ensure management ability and control activities in heritage area. Practically, conservation activities although are carried out by consultants, experts and specific construction organizations, its effectiveness seem to be depended much on control ability of heritage s management organizations.
2. Participation of the community: The participation of local community in the field of the conservation is so important. It is began from increasing people s awareness about heritage s value and also their responsible to take part in the invaluable property protection. In addition, the support of local people to the policies for correcting the activities in the monument area and contiguous area is necessary. Such policies aim to protect the heritages but it may also influences people s life. The participation of community is shown by the indirect activities concerned with the heritage such as the service for the visitors, the daily activities creating the cultural and friendly environment of monument area.
3. Colleration of conservation and development: Conservation is the sacred responsibility, is our noble desire with the invaluable heritage transmitting from past. Development is the indispensable way. Conservation and development seem to be oppositive tendency and implicit risk to block or to break mutually if it is not comfortably regulated. However, the conservation and the development are the organically factors, and supporting mutually for higher effective. Conservation aims to preserve and increase the values which have been taken shape and existed through the long process of historical development. These values bring up in the spirit of community to create motivation and positively influence to development. Development increase social resources, creating favorable condition of material and technology for conservation. Therefore, balancing of organically relation between conservation and development is extremely important that also is the prerequisite basis of stable development. Conservation and development most concerned in world heritage area, therefore it is important to deal with this relation.
4. Reinforcement of scientific base: Heritage conservation activities and heritage s value development is generally based on the scientific basis. Promoting scientific research about heritage and heritage conservation, building up standard, technology, procession which correspond to economic, technology, and social condition of the region or country is stable basis for heritage conservation strategy and plan. Acknowledgement of heritage from historical, characteristically, creation technology, the signification of product, material and restoration solution and others concerned with heritage are prerequisite conditions to carry out an effective conservation.
5. Manpower training: The conservation of monument is a scientific subject interdisciplinary such as architecture, construction, history, archeology, culture, Until now, there is no education for this specialty in VietNam. Therefore, conservators are equipped the knowledge with one specialty will need to be given supplementary knowledge and skills about conservation. Worker who preserves the monuments at site also need to be trained skills and basic knowledge's. The quality of preservation depends much on specific construction work-force.
6. International relations: A world heritage certainly means world-wide fame. Therefore, international co-operation is necessary activity accordance with heritage conservation of each country. For less developing country with many difficult in economic and social condition as Vietnam, international co-operation play very important role not only for finance but also for exchange experiences, research in the purpose of humanity heritage conservation. Recently, Vietnam has co-operated effective with international community in heritage conservation. We hope this relation continuously expand and create more effectively in the future.
This conference in world heritage conservation is also a good and very important international relation. By this conference, we would like to present with our colleagues about draw the necessary lessons from practical of Vietnam heritage conservation. We expect and listen to your opinions, point of view, experiences and recommendations over this conference in order to improve our ability of heritage management and conservation.
Thank you very much.