At Ton Duc Thang Museum, the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City has just successfully organized the Cultural Heritage Conference of the whole city of Ho Chi Minh City, and it is also the first time all the management agencies and heritage workers in Binh Duong and the old Ba Ria-Vung Tau have gathered together under one roof.
RICH URBAN HERITAGE SYSTEM
Compared to other provinces and cities, Ho Chi Minh City is rich in heritage: the city has 321 historical - cultural relics and scenic spots; including 4 special national relics, 99 national relics and 218 city-level relics. The system of 25 museums is preserving 23 national treasures, along with more than 500 religious establishments with many French - Indochina architectural areas, the special national relic of Independence Palace, the old town of Cho Lon of the Chinese community. At Binh Duong Museum, there are two more national treasures: Phu Chanh wooden jar tomb with bronze drum lid and Dong Nai culture bronze animal statues, which have contributed to forming a diverse and potential urban cultural heritage system for Ho Chi Minh City.
Foreign tourists visit the special national relic Independence Palace
PHOTO: LE CONG SON
"Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City is also a typical river city: where the Saigon River meets the Dong Nai River, creating the Nha Be junction with a dense system of canals, creating a landscape of "on the wharf, under the boat", along with rich festival activities of the Chinese, Khmer, Cham communities... being integrated into cultural tourism products, becoming a distinct brand of the Southern region", researcher Nguyen Mai Huy (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City) shared.
Recognizing the stature of Catholic church architectural works present as prominent marks, contributing to the creation of architectural appearance and the formation of a unique urban identity, an attractive destination for tourists in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Tran Thi Tuyet Suong (Ho Chi Minh City University of Education) affirmed: "Typical works such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Tan Dinh, Huyen Si, Cha Tam, Cho Quan, Thu Thiem, Hanh Thong Tay... are not only symbols associated with the collective memory of urban residents but also vividly reflect the process of cultural exchange between Vietnam and France from the late 19th century to the early 20th century".
HERITAGE-BASED DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Although the heritage treasures of Ho Chi Minh City are very diverse and rich, the restoration and reconstruction work has encountered many difficulties due to lack of funding. The relics have not yet become the "goose that lays the golden eggs".
As a long-time museum employee through referring to a number of international models, Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History, advised that Ho Chi Minh City should form a Heritage Center - a centralized coordinating institution. "Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution (USA) is a model of an integrated heritage center model with the most profound influence in the world, a successful combination of centralized administration and professional autonomy, between traditional preservation and creative innovation. The National Heritage Board model (NHB, Singapore) has a modern approach to heritage management: centralized - synchronized - technological - communal. Looking at others, thinking of ourselves, Ho Chi Minh City needs to focus on building the Heritage of Ho Chi Minh City or Ho Chi Minh City Heritage Network brand as a collective brand, similar to Smithsonian or NHB, to affirm the position of the city's museum system in the Southeast Asia region," Mr. Tuan emphasized.
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts - where national treasures are displayed and is also a city-level architectural and artistic relic
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi (Academy of Politics Region II - Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics) suggested that it is necessary to build heritage tourism routes "Independence Palace - Nha Rong Wharf - Ho Chi Minh Museum" or "French architecture in the heart of Saigon" to open a new direction combining the exploitation of historical values and the development of tourism economy. These tours not only create livelihoods for people but also contribute to raising social awareness of the value of urban heritage.
The leader of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City said: "In the near future, we will establish and effectively organize the Cultural Heritage Fund, focusing on investing in the restoration and embellishment of works and places with historical and cultural values that are seriously degraded. Research and apply technology to promote the value of cultural heritage in general, relics and museums in particular; build typical products; build night tours/shows at Bach Dinh relic, special national historical relic Con Dao prison and night experiences at museums on the digital technology platform 4.0 and 3D Mapping, contributing to attracting tourists and developing the economy".
"When heritage is properly placed in the development structure, it will become a resource, not a barrier. Preserved works, if creatively managed and integrated with economic, cultural and social activities, can create great added value in terms of urban image, attract tourists, and at the same time strengthen the identity and pride of residents. It is necessary to demonstrate the ability to transform thinking from "passive conservation" to "heritage-based development", to be consistent with the goal of sustainable urban development in the 21st century," Ms. Thu Nhi affirmed.
PUTTING CU CHI TUNNEL INTO THE LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE PROPOSED WORLD HERITAGE PROFILE
The first good news opening the heritage conference, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Minh Nhut revealed: "Based on the comments of UNESCO experts at the International Workshop on the quality of world heritage nomination dossiers in Southeast Asia (held in Manila, Philippines) from May 19 to 23, the National Council for Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO have determined the outstanding global value of the Cu Chi tunnels and are registering it on the list of nominees expected to build a world heritage dossier."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bat-che-do-kiem-tien-cho-di-san-tphcm-18525112622062385.htm
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