Heritage in Violation - Red Alert on Conservation Work

Although there has been no official conclusion on the extent of damage or the cause of the incident at Thai Hoa Palace, the consecutive incidents occurring in a short period of time, at many different types of heritage, from national treasures to spiritual places of worship, once again show worrying loopholes in heritage conservation work.

Violation of national treasures cannot be taken lightly.

The Nguyen Dynasty throne, which is currently kept at Thai Hoa Palace - the center of Hue Imperial City - is not only an artifact of special historical and artistic value, but also a symbol of the supreme power of the last feudal dynasty in Vietnamese history. This is a national treasure recognized according to a strict appraisal process, a concrete demonstration of the identity and depth of national culture.

The damage to this national treasure, regardless of the motive, is a serious violation of the law and an insult to cultural ethics.

Immediately after receiving the information, the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) sent an urgent dispatch to the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, requesting the organization to inspect and evaluate the current status, urgently protect the national treasure and report to the Ministry before May 26.

At the same time, this agency requested to review the technical condition of the artifacts, propose solutions for handling, strengthen preservation measures according to the provisions of law, and strictly implement the direction in Official Dispatch No. 1669/BVHTTDL-DSVH dated April 22, 2024 on protecting and promoting the value of national treasures.

Strengthening heritage protection in the tourism cycle. (Photo: Department of Cultural Heritage)

Heritage is the “soul” of national culture, very vulnerable to the wave of development and commercialization pressure. From ignorance, carelessness to intentional vandalism, heritage is always facing real risks. The quick response of the authorities is necessary, however, what makes the public wonder is why a national treasure, displayed in a central location and with deep symbolic meaning, can be so easily violated? How are the monitoring mechanism, inspection process, and security work being operated?

Need to change conservation thinking

Not only in Hue or Thanh Hoa, in recent times, in many localities, cultural heritage is facing the risk of being violated in many forms. Cases of “renovation contrary to the original”, “deformed embellishment”, stolen artifacts, destroyed statues, defaced steles, encroached relic grounds for services… are worrying signs showing the decline of social awareness and laxity in management.

In the context of many relics being opened to serve tourism with an increasing number of visitors, the regulations on heritage protection have not been updated to match the new requirements.

In reality, it is difficult for a few dozen security guards to manually control a relic complex of dozens of hectares. The monitoring system does not have enough coverage, and warning devices are lacking. In some localities, the on-site conservation team lacks deep expertise, and many have not been properly trained in the appraisal and preservation of artifacts.

The above incidents show that the work of protecting, restoring and promoting the value of cultural heritage is in need of a comprehensive and long-term strategy. It is necessary to establish a periodic inspection process for national treasures; invest in a modern security monitoring system at sensitive locations; and develop a set of specialized standards for displaying, preserving and restoring artifacts at each level of relics.

Along with that is the training and upgrading of a team of specialized conservation staff, from technical staff to researchers, appraisers and conservators of antiques.

In addition, heritage communication and education work needs to go into depth, especially for young people. Every citizen needs to realize that heritage infringement is not only an infringement of physical objects but also a loss of the collective memory of the community, a deterioration of the spiritual foundation of the nation.

The incidents of the throne being encroached upon, the ancient communal house being burned down, and the ancient pagoda being “wrongly restored” cannot be considered isolated incidents. They are alarm bells about conservation work in the face of rapid development and pressure from tourism.

Without drastic action, national treasures will not only remain in museums but will gradually fade from the national consciousness. Strictly handling and publicizing violations is necessary, but more importantly, it is necessary to change the conservation mindset from passive to active, from entrusting to mobilizing the whole community. Heritage is not only the property of the cultural sector or the locality but is the common property of the whole people.

National treasures are not only relics of the past but also soft power of the present and the future. Therefore, preserving heritage means preserving the memory, identity, pride and spirit of the nation in the journey of integration. In order for that identity not to be eroded over time, heritage needs to be recognized and treated as it is, sacred, alive and worthy of the highest respect.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/di-san-bi-xam-pham-bao-dong-do-ve-cong-toc-bao-ton-post882240.html