Hanoi (VNA) - Strengthening the education on the relic, designing experience tours and co♕mmunications through traditional craft souvenir products are the ways proposed to bring into play the value of the Thang Long Royal Citadel.

A decade has elapsed since the recognition of the Thang Long Royal Citadel complex by UNESCO, the preservation of the value of the relic of Hanoi capital has been implemented in a concerted and official way under the auspice of the advisory council with the participation of many top professors. It is noteworthy that the archaeological and research work here has seen many professors and specialists from Japan and France who have rich experience in the management and research of relics in urban areas in the world. The above information was revealed at an international conference on the ten years of research, preservation and bringing into play the value of the Thang Long Royal Citadel world legacy held by the Hanoi People’s Committee and the national UNESCO Committee on November 23. According to Ngo Van Quy, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, the research and preservation of the archaeological relics that remain underground is a hard nut to crack and of international significance, not only to Vietnam. Dr. Tran Viet Anh, Director of the Thang Long – Hanoi Relic Preservation Centre, said that besides those exposed on the ground like the flag tower, Doan Mon gate, Kinh Thien Palace, rear tower and the northern gate, a large number of the architectures unearthed after archaeological excavations are being preserved right on their sites. Relics on different civilisation layers on top of each other serve as a ground to determine the dates of the relics. “The preservation of a cultural relic, an invaluable one like the Thang Long Royal Citadel created by our forefathers and preserved in the ground for decades, requires us to have correct orientations, long-term and permanent plans so as t bring into full play its relic value and transfer to the next generations,” said Anh. For his part, Quy held that the event will help create a deeper and more comprehensive perception on the basic value of the relic in various aspects. “This is also a chance for scientists to exchange and learn from international experiences,” he stressed.

Strengthening education, connecting ‘destinations’

In scientists’s opinion, for the Thang Long royal Citadel to further bring into play its value, relevant authorities must intensify the popularisation of tangible and intangible cultural relics. This requires the organisation of educational programmes so as to bring the relics to schools and young generations. Emmanuel Cerise, director of the international cooperation organisation of Paris region in Vietnam, share experiences on the work in Provins city which is famous for its middle-age castles. The management and bringing into play of the relics should be viewed from the tourism angle, he said, praising Vietnamese specialists for their expertise in the research of the royal architectures and traditional arts. The official also stressed that to obtain a better understanding on the value of the royal citadel and highlight this relic in the map of foreign tourists, Vietnam should form a network of relicts, in close connection with other UNESCO relicts. Dr. Le Thi Thu Huong from the Hanoi Capital University, raised the idea of including traditional handicraft products into the list of souvenirs for sale to visitors at the Thang Long Royal Citadel, arguing that the capital is known far and wide as the land of hundreds of crafts and a convergence of craftsmen from all corners of the country./.