Reporter: Sir, we understand that the 15-year (2011-2025) in-depth research project on the Thang Long Imperial Citadel - a World Cultural Heritage site of Vietnam - is a particularly important scientific task. Could you share some specific information about this project?
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Minh Tri : The Thang Long Imperial Citadel is an extremely important part of the Thang Long capital, a major political , economic, and cultural center of the country through many dynasties, with architectural remains of palaces and pavilions along with millions of archaeological artifacts discovered through large-scale historical excavations from 2002-2009 at 18 Hoang Dieu Street and the area where the National Assembly building was constructed.
This discovery vividly demonstrates the glorious history of Thang Long Capital more than a thousand years ago, from the Ly, Tran, early Le, Mac, and later Le dynasties, creating continuity of cultural tradition and providing a solid basis for UNESCO's recognition as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2010.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Minh Tri (second from the right) and the delegation from the Institute of Imperial City Research on a field trip to the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
It was from this historic discovery that the project "Research, revision, evaluation of value and scientific documentation of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel" was considered a political and scientific task of special importance, directly assigned by the Prime Minister to the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences to lead, with the Institute of Imperial Citadel Research (now merged into the Institute of Archaeology) as the implementing unit, aiming to decipher, evaluate the value and create a scientific dossier for the site after the completion of archaeological excavations.
Reporter: The results of the project after 14 years of research are considered to be of significant importance, not only scientifically but also historically, politically, and socially. How do you assess the achievements and the role of the Institute for Imperial City Studies in this project?
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Minh Tri : Over the past 14 years, the Institute of Imperial City Research has been tasked with leading and implementing the aforementioned project and has completed an enormous amount of work. This has been a journey of passionate and responsible research, yielding tremendous scientific achievements and historical significance in the study of Thang Long Imperial City.
The most outstanding and important achievement is the deciphering of the mysteries beneath the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, creating a solid foundation for the restoration and promotion of the heritage. In particular, scientists have researched and clarified the mysteries of the palace architecture, the "soul" of the Thang Long capital, after thousands of years of being lost to history, clarifying the architectural forms of the palaces during the Ly and Tran dynasties and the Kinh Thien Palace during the early Le dynasty. In addition, the research results, classification, and organization of artifacts have deepened the understanding of life in the Thang Long Imperial Palace through the study of utensils and objects, especially imperial ceramics, and revealed Thang Long's role in international trade and diplomacy through foreign ceramics.
These research findings further demonstrate the glorious history of Thang Long capital and illuminate and deepen the outstanding global value of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site.
Reporter: What were the key results achieved at this conference, and what important research issues were raised for the future, sir?
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Minh Tri : This international scientific conference serves both to summarize the research achievements of the project that the Institute of Imperial Citadel Studies has diligently carried out over the past 14 years, and to raise strategic issues that require continued investment in scientific research on Thang Long Imperial Citadel in the coming period.
With 15 out of 32 papers presented and numerous discussions, the conference analyzed and clarified issues related to the study, decoding, and evaluation of the architectural value of Vietnamese palaces in Thang Long Imperial Palace within the context of ancient East Asian palace architecture (with interpretations, comparisons, positioning of Thang Long's architectural value, and proposed restoration solutions); the life of Thang Long Imperial Palace in history through archival documents and archaeological artifacts (in-depth study of material and spiritual life and socio-cultural factors); and the history of economic and cultural exchange between Thang Long and other ancient capitals in Asia (clarifying Thang Long's central role in the regional trade network).
These are academically in-depth issues that were continuously discussed by domestic and international experts and scientists throughout the day. We expect these exchanges to truly become important scientific foundations, effectively supporting practical research on deciphering, restoring/reviving ancient capitals based on historical and archaeological documents in East Asia.
However, promoting the achievements of research on Thang Long Imperial Citadel still faces many challenges. This is because, more than 20 years after its excavation, Thang Long Imperial Citadel remains an archaeological site with most of its remains buried underground in a bustling urban area. This creates a dual challenge: How to both preserve the valuable relics in their original state and effectively interpret, recreate, restore, and promote their value, using scientific research results as a foundation to gradually "revive" the heritage and turn it into a resource for developing the heritage economy.
With the insights presented, we expect to create breakthroughs in research, heritage restoration/rehabilitation, heritage database development, and appropriate investment in publishing research results… We believe that the results of the Conference will open up new prospects in heritage research and conservation, further affirming and spreading the position of Thang Long Imperial Citadel on the map of world cultural heritage.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/giai-ma-bi-an-hoang-thanh-thang-long-tu-di-tich-duoi-long-dat-den-di-san-mang-tam-voc-toan-cau-post921608.html
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