Proposal to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Ho Dynasty Citadel being recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site

After more than a decade of being recognized by UNESCO, Ho Dynasty Citadel, the most unique stone architectural work in Vietnam, continues to be the focus of Thanh Hoa 's strategy to preserve and promote cultural values.

Recently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thanh Hoa province has submitted to the Provincial People's Committee a registration for an event in response to the National Tourism Year 2026, with the highlight being the 15th anniversary of the heritage being recognized as a World Cultural Heritage. The event is expected to take place in November 2026 at the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation Center, Tay Do commune.

The need to strengthen tourism promotion and advertising is becoming urgent in the context of Thanh Hoa aiming to enhance the image of its heritage on domestic and international media channels.

A large-scale, high-quality event not only contributes to spreading the unique cultural and historical values of Thanh Hoa but also creates a boost to attract tourists, expand market connections and increase tourism revenue.

Since being recognized as a World Cultural Heritage in 2011, Thanh Hoa has implemented a series of conservation and infrastructure investment projects.

The master plan for conservation and promotion of the heritage site's value was approved by the Prime Minister in 2015, identifying an area of more than 5,078 hectares, including a core zone of 155.5 hectares and a buffer zone of more than 4,900 hectares, creating an important legal basis for long-term conservation.

Many large projects have been and are being implemented: the restoration of the Citadel in the 2022-2025 period with a total capital of 745 billion VND; the next period (2025-2028) with more than 345 billion VND; along with projects to reinforce and prevent landslides of the citadel wall with a budget of tens of billions of VND.

In parallel with the preservation of objects, large-scale archaeological excavations were carried out according to the 2013 decision with an area of over 56,000 m², shedding light on many important historical and architectural values such as the main hall, the harem, the Royal Road or the East-West Thai Mieu.

Intangible values are also emphasized. Propaganda and conservation training programs for buffer zone communities are organized regularly, helping people become subjects participating in heritage preservation.

Not only preserved, Ho Dynasty Citadel is strongly developing into a unique tourist destination of Thanh land.

The heritage tourism development project approved in 2016 aims to welcome 800,000 visitors per year by 2030 with a growth rate of 13.6%, with a total investment of more than VND916 billion, most of which comes from socialization.

Proposal to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Ho Dynasty Citadel being recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site - photo 2 — Tourists visit the Ho Dynasty Citadel heritage site, one of the typical cultural destinations of Thanh Hoa

Up to now, many clear results have been recorded: community tourism in the buffer zone has been formed, and sightseeing routes have been expanded and upgraded.

The Center is currently operating four main tourist routes connecting heritage with craft villages, temples and buffer zone landscapes, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

In the 2021-2025 period, Ho Dynasty Citadel welcomed more than 1 million visitors, reaching 138% of the plan, including 8,690 international visitors, the highest number ever.

Digital transformation is also strongly promoted. The 3D interpretation system recreates the Ho Dynasty space to help visitors have a vivid experience; MAP GIS digital map supports the management of core and buffer zones using location data; records, artifacts, and documents are fully digitized.

Promotional activities are increasingly diverse: exhibition "Land and people of Tay Do", display of ancient bricks and stones, cannons, organizing extracurricular programs, playgrounds "I am an archaeologist", "Ring the golden bell about heritage", promoting communication on websites, newspapers, Facebook, TikTok...

The Center’s team of 32 highly qualified staff is also an important factor in helping heritage management become more professional. Many training courses for people in the buffer zone have been implemented to raise community awareness in heritage protection.

With the achievements and opportunities from the National Tourism Year 2026, Thanh Hoa is aiming to make Ho Dynasty Citadel a leading destination for culture and heritage in Vietnam, while affirming its position on the regional and world tourism map.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/de-xuat-ky-niem-15-nam-thanh-nha-ho-duoc-unesco-cong-nhan-di-san-the-gioi-184886.html