Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requests a general review of national treasures after the incident of encroachment on the Nguyen Dynasty throne

On the afternoon of May 29, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) issued Document No. 2373/BVHTTDL-DSVH to ministries, departments, branches, socio-political organizations, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities on reviewing, evaluating, and strengthening the work of protecting, preserving, and promoting the value of national treasures.

The Nguyen Dynasty throne was recognized as a National Treasure in 2015. Photo: Vietnam Department of Cultural Heritage

Accordingly, the document signed by Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong on May 29 clearly stated that, implementing the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh (Official Dispatch No. 4623/VPCP-KGVX dated May 25, 2025 of the Government Office ) on assigning "the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to direct a general review and assessment of the display, preservation, protection and measures to ensure security and safety of national treasures nationwide; promptly strengthen measures to ensure absolute safety of recognized national treasures and valuable artifacts and antiques at relics and scenic spots in accordance with the provisions of law".

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requests ministries, branches, political organizations, socio-political organizations at the central level and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to direct the implementation as follows:

Review and evaluate the current status of display, preservation, protection and measures to ensure security and safety for national treasures under direct management, with specific information: Name of national treasure; place of storage; display and preservation of national treasures that have been implemented (since the Decision to recognize national treasures was issued),

Security and safety plans and risk response measures implemented (since the Decision on recognition of national treasures); proposals and recommendations (if any); review and assessment reports sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (via the Department of Cultural Heritage) before June 6, 2025.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also requested to continue to strengthen the protection, preservation and promotion of the value of national treasures in the following directions:

Regarding protection work: Organize, complete and promptly deploy protection plans for each national treasure, noting: Take measures to prevent and combat theft, fire, explosion, natural disasters and other risks of damage to ensure absolute safety for national treasures.

For national treasures currently kept at relics or privately owned, a specific protection plan must be developed for each national treasure, approved by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism/Department of Culture and Sports, and assigned to be implemented by the People's Committee at the commune level.

Timely and proactively report and inform the competent authority and relevant agencies when there are developments in reality that affect the work of absolutely protecting the safety of national treasures.

Regarding preservation work: Prioritize investment in funds to renovate and upgrade works, technical infrastructure and specialized equipment for storage warehouses and areas displaying national treasures at museums and places where national treasures are kept at relics.

The preservation of national treasures must be made into a specific plan, ensuring scientific nature and compliance with the provisions of the law on cultural heritage; the preservation process must strictly comply with the principles, procedures and preservation techniques, and at the same time have the coordination and guidance of scientists in related fields and preservation experts (based on the type, material and condition of each national treasure).

Regarding value promotion: Build and effectively implement separate programs with attractive content, diverse forms, easy to disseminate and access to promote the value of national treasures to a wide audience at home and abroad.

Research on display plans and promote values ​​appropriate to the nature and type of national treasures to meet people's cultural enjoyment needs, on the basis of prioritizing the protection of safety, security and values ​​of national treasures.

Ensuring safety for valuable relics and antiquities at historical-cultural sites and scenic spots: The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism/Department of Culture and Sports is responsible for directing local authorities where relics are located to review and establish a list of valuable artifacts at each relic; annually organize inspections and reviews of the protection of valuable artifacts according to the established list.

The local authority where the relic is located shall organize the establishment and approval of a protection plan for each valuable artifact; assign the organization or individual directly managing the relic to coordinate with the local police to assign responsibilities for managing valuable artifacts according to the approved protection plan.

The plan to protect valuable artifacts in the List of valuable artifacts must meet the following requirements:

For artifacts in relics that cannot be stored or displayed in place of restored artifacts, the protection plan for artifacts must ensure that visitors are limited or prevented from directly accessing and impacting the artifacts; regularly inspect and prevent agents that damage the artifacts; and periodically preserve and maintain the artifacts.

In case the artifact can be stored or replaced with a restored artifact, the storage plan must ensure that there is equipment to preserve the artifact; there is an anti-theft alarm; the location to protect the artifact is far from areas at risk of fire, explosion, or flooding; there is a surveillance camera connected to the organization or individual assigned to protect the artifact.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also stated that on July 1, 2025, the 2024 Law on Cultural Heritage will take effect, clearly stipulating the responsibility for state management, protection and preservation regime for relics, antiques and national treasures.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requests ministries, branches, political organizations, socio-political organizations at the central level and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to pay attention to and direct the implementation; prepare well the conditions and resources to organize the Law on Cultural Heritage 2024 in a timely and effective manner; and at the same time send reports on time to promptly synthesize and report to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bo-vhttdl-yeu-cau-tong-ra-soat-bao-vat-quoc-gia-sau-su-co-xam-hai-ngai-vang-trieu-nguyen-703929.html