Dr. Pham Quoc Quan - former Director of the Vietnam Revolution Museum spoke at the scientific conference "Completing the nomination dossier for the Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site, An Giang province before submitting it to UNESCO for consideration and recognition as a world heritage site". Photo: VIET TIEN
Looking out over the fields from the foot of Ba The Mountain, the boundary of the relic does not lie on paper. It appears through canals, paths, and cultivated fields. Here, a newly erected roof, a newly opened path, an explanatory board placed at an angle, or a display corner that blurs the boundary between the original and the restored artifacts can all become “answers” when the international appraisal team surveys the site. The World Heritage dossier is not only read in a closed room but also verified in the field with a simple question: Is what is written in the dossier consistent with what is present?
A roof, a path can make the whole profile difficult
At the scientific conference in Hanoi , members of the National Cultural Heritage Council and experts pointed out the weak points and the discrepancies between the draft and the management status. The biggest bottleneck is that OUV is not convincing enough, criteria (ii) and (iii) are overlapping, so the argument is easily diluted. Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Van Liem - former Deputy Director of the Institute of Archaeology, Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council, suggested a concise structure, separating the lines of evidence for each criterion to highlight unique values and avoid duplication.
Accompanying OUV is the thickness of the evidence. Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Chi Hoang - former Deputy Director of the Institute of Social Sciences in the Southern Region, Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council commented: "This dossier is very weak". According to Mr. Hoang, UNESCO evaluates by evidence. Evidence must have sources and the sources must be updated. He also noted that the data on the Giong Xoai site in the dossier is still thin, the information is both old and scarce. If these gaps are not filled, OUV will hardly have a solid foundation to stand up to scientific criticism.
From the editorial perspective, Professor, Doctor Tu Thi Loan - former Acting Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts, Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council, suggested connecting the written sections to avoid broken lines, and at the same time rearranging the chronological layers for clarity. Dr. Le Thi Lien - Vietnam Archaeological Association suggested closely editing the bibliography, accepting the comments of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) to include the description of relics in the appendix to make the main article concise and easy to read. The closer to the deadline, the more soberly we need to choose the way to do it. More concise but more solid, less but more profound.
However, no matter how carefully written the dossier is, it can still be flawed if it does not match the scene. Dr. Pham Quoc Quan - former Director of the Vietnam Revolution Museum warned: "Currently, the dossier is not yet verified with the management situation." He emphasized the risks associated with the roofing solution in the context of UNESCO warning about protection and preservation risks. Any risky intervention or an exhibition that blurs the line between the original and the restored artifacts can undermine trust in OUV.
Dr. Nguyen Van Doan - Director of the National History Museum, Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council, suggested that the locality invite experts to advise on roofing solutions and display adjustments to properly reflect the value of Oc Eo - Ba The.
Historian Duong Trung Quoc - Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council noted the need to standardize terminology, unify records and displays, and suggested building a thematic museum space. When displayed and explained correctly, the public will understand, and OUV will be more convincing in its appraisal.
Inaccurate map, application not accepted
If OUV is the heart, then the map and management plan are where the capacity for governance and impact control is demonstrated. The representative of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam emphasized that UNESCO will not accept the application if the map does not meet the requirements. This is a condition for acceptance, not an additional part.
Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Tan Van - former Director of the Institute of Geological Sciences and Mineral Resources, proposed to standardize terminology, not use outdated terms such as "core zone" and unify "nominated heritage zone" with "buffer zone". Mr. Van suggested to create a summary table of relics according to location, nature, function, time, and description according to a unified framework for easy comparison and to reduce the risk of misinterpretation when translating into English.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong - Secretariat of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, warned of the possibility of objections from other countries, and noted that the map zoning is not really scientific, the boundary between the buffer zone and the nominated heritage area is still "thin".
According to Ms. Huong, the boundary must be linked to an impact control mechanism, with a scientific and administrative basis. Along with the map, the management plan must clearly state who is in charge, the coordination mechanism, monitoring, community consultation and impact control criteria based on a professional conservation team and practical operations.
Dr. Hoang Dao Cuong - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested An Giang to submit the dossier before December 10, 2025. Mr. Cuong emphasized that the English translation must be accurate. The dossier needs to focus on proving the OUV and clarifying the age of each relic and each artifact. The boundaries of the nominated heritage area and buffer zone must be clear. Management work must look directly at the residential areas and fields associated with the relics based on the protection regulations.
Looking from the foot of Ba The mountain along the waterways and people's paths, one can understand why the world requires maps and management to be precise to every detail. Heritage does not stand alone. Heritage lives in the midst of life. Therefore, the best quality of the dossier will come from a decisive choice.
Write less but more solidly. Choose a more concise component but prove it more thoroughly. Make the map clearer. Tighten the management plan and make it more substantial. Check the roof, display, and explanation more accurately. Translate more accurately. Oc Eo - Ba The needs a passport to the world. That passport is not stamped with nice words but with today's seriousness on paper and in the field.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/chot-ho-so-de-cu-oc-eo-ba-the-go-cho-chac-truoc-han-nop-unesco-a469525.html
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