Activities of the Hue Heritage Conservation Fund
Hue City has 6 cultural heritage sites recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites and Regional Heritage Sites, including: the Complex of Monuments of the Hue Imperial City (recognized in 1993), Vietnamese Court Music - Nha Nhac of the Nguyen Dynasty (2003), Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks (2009), Nguyen Dynasty Imperial Archives (2014), Poetry and Literature on Hue Imperial Architecture (2016) and the Relief Castings on the Nine Dynastic Urns (2024).
Over the years, the conservation and promotion of the value of world heritage sites in Hue has achieved many successes, which UNESCO has assessed as "exemplary" and recommended that localities managing and preserving other world heritage sites in Vietnam refer to and learn from.
Hue has utilized numerous resources, including investments from the central and local governments; funding from foreign governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); and contributions and support from domestic and international organizations and individuals, to restore and preserve many cultural heritage sites.
Specifically, on October 20, 2022, the Prime Minister signed Decree No. 84/2022/ND-CP on the establishment and promulgation of the Regulations on the operation of the Hue Heritage Conservation Fund. Accordingly, the Hue Heritage Conservation Fund is a national fund established by the Government and directly managed by the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province (now Hue City). Its purpose is to mobilize resources to invest in the restoration, preservation, and development of Hue's heritage values, and to invest in projects and items that have not been allocated funding from the state budget or have received insufficient funding.
The Fund's financial resources include: support from the State budgets of provinces and centrally-administered cities (excluding the budget of Thua Thien Hue province); contributions, aid, and sponsorships from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals, including voluntary or purposeful sponsorships; interest from deposit accounts; annual fund surpluses; and other legitimate sources.
The Hue Heritage Conservation Fund operates as a public service unit under the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province; it operates on a non-profit basis. The Fund's Management Board consists of 5 members, including representatives from the leadership of the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province, the Department of Finance, the Department of Planning and Investment, the Department of Culture and Sports of Thua Thien Hue province, and the Hue Ancient Citadel Conservation Center.
The Hue Heritage Conservation Fund is a special mechanism dedicated to Hue's heritage. This mechanism helps Hue to be more proactive in restoring and preserving its heritage, especially in handling emergency situations involving endangered historical sites.
After more than two years of establishment and operation, the Hue Heritage Conservation Fund has received contributions totaling 7.664 billion VND from numerous organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally.
A suitable management unit is needed.
Projects for the restoration, preservation, and promotion of the value of world cultural heritage sites in Hue have received favorable funding and support from foreign governments and organizations, such as the Japan Foundation, Rhône-Poulenc, America Express, the British Embassy in Vietnam, and the UNESCO office in Bangkok.
Representatives from these organizations shared that they usually find it easier to contribute financially to cultural heritage preservation projects and the restoration of historical sites, which are managed and implemented by specialized agencies, because the legal procedures are simpler.
The World Heritage sites in Hue are managed by the Hue Imperial City Relics Conservation Center – a provincial-level specialized agency, not a state-run cultural management agency. However, this agency has sufficient authority and functions in the field of cultural heritage management and conservation, making it convenient for partners and donors.
During a meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Standing Committee of the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee on February 8, 2025, the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee proposed that the Prime Minister consider and approve the following projects: the project for preserving and promoting the value of the Hoi An Ancient Town World Cultural Heritage site until 2030, with a vision to 2035; the project for socializing the management and exploitation of the My Son Sanctuary; and the project for establishing the Quang Nam Heritage Conservation Fund and the mechanism for using entrance fees to historical sites in the province.
In particular, Quang Nam focuses on two issues: socializing the activities of protecting and promoting the value of cultural heritage at the My Son temple complex and establishing the Quang Nam Heritage Conservation Fund (similar to the one the Government has authorized in Hue), aiming to mobilize "non-state" resources to support the conservation and promotion of world cultural heritage sites in Quang Nam province.
Currently, Quang Nam's World Heritage sites are managed by local authorities in Hoi An and Duy Xuyen, while the Quang Nam Heritage Conservation Center is a unit under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Therefore, the management, preservation, restoration, and promotion of these heritage sites are fragmented, hindering the mobilization of non-state resources and socialized resources.
Perhaps it's time for Quang Nam to have a new mechanism for this issue, encompassing both local transformation and support from the Government and relevant authorities at the central level.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/co-che-thuan-loi-bao-ton-di-san-3152163.html
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