Hoi An celebrates 25 years of UNESCO recognition as a World Cultural Heritage

On December 4, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province held a meeting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hoi An Ancient Town being recognized as a World Cultural Heritage (December 4, 1999 - December 4, 2024).

Mr. Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee spoke at the meeting.

This event is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hoi An ancient town being recognized as a World Cultural Heritage (December 4, 1999 - December 4, 2024), the 7th anniversary of the art of Bài Chòi in Central Vietnam being recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2017-2024), and the year Hoi An joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Accordingly, the meeting with the theme "Imprints on the journey of managing, preserving and promoting the value of the world cultural heritage of Hoi An Ancient Town" aims to look back at the process of managing and protecting Hoi An Ancient Town from the difficult early days until it was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage and the great achievements after 25 years of managing, preserving and promoting the value of the heritage.

Over the past 25 years, Hoi An City has mobilized the entire political system and community consensus in caring for and preserving heritage. From 1999 to 2019, through the state budget and funding sources of up to 167 billion VND, 300 seriously degraded state and private relics have been restored; from 2015 to present, there have been nearly 100 other relics with 60% of the provincial and city budgets and a huge uncountable contribution from the people.

Delegates attending the meeting.

Hoi An City has made many efforts to preserve and promote more than 50 traditional crafts, of which 6 have been recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In addition to the art of Bài Chòi, which is very familiar and has been recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; in 2023, the Lantern Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hoi An were included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Notably, in October 2023, Hoi An City was officially listed in the UNESCO Global Creative Cities Network.

Tour organization activities in the old town: if in 2000, Hoi An had 192,420 visitors, in 2019 this number was nearly 5.7 million; the total number of visitors and tourist accommodation in 2023 reached 7.5 million, of which international visitors were 3.8 million, tourism revenue was 7,950 billion VND. In the first 9 months of 2024, the total number of visitors and tourist accommodation is estimated at 6.5 million, an increase of 6% over the same period in 2023; of which international visitors reached 4.3 million, tourism revenue in the first 9 months of 2024 reached 6,230 billion VND, an increase of 8% over the same period in 2023.

Leaders of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee presented flowers to congratulate Hoi An City at the program.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of Hoi An City, said that, implementing the general orientation of Quang Nam province, the general planning to 2035, vision to 2050 of Hoi An city identifies 3 pillars: ecology, culture and tourism of national stature, with characteristics of culture, ecology, landscape and environment, tourism; is a livable, high-quality city. Hoi An is a smart heritage city connecting with the smart urban area of the province and the smart urban network of the whole country, participating in the global smart heritage city network.

A corner of Hoi An ancient town.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee emphasized: "I believe that, with the cultural tradition, experience, creativity, high determination of the political system together with the companionship, support and participation of all levels, central sectors, and the heritage-loving community at home and abroad, the World Cultural Heritage of Hoi An Ancient Town will continue to be preserved and its value will be effectively promoted in contemporary life; contributing to building Hoi An into an ecological - cultural - tourist city by 2030, aiming to establish Hoi An's role as a driving force in tourism - service development of the Central Coast region and the whole country, reaching out to Asia, and becoming an attractive destination in the world".

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/quang-nam-hoi-an-ky-niem-25-nam-unesco-cong-nhan-di-san-van-hoa-the-gioi-10295831.html