Hoi An and Da Lat officially become UNESCO Creative Cities

After Hanoi, two more Vietnamese cities were recognized as UNESCO Creative Cities: Da Lat in the field of music and Hoi An in the field of crafts and folk arts.

On the occasion of World Cities Day (October 31, 2023), the Director-General of UNESCO signed a Decision recognizing Da Lat and Hoi An, along with 53 other cities worldwide, as officially joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

Hội An và Đà Lạt chính thức trở thành Thành phố sáng tạo UNESCO

Delegates attending the International Workshop on consultation on building a dossier for Hoi An city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. (Source: Organizing Committee)

Thus, after Hanoi became a UNESCO Creative City in the field of design in 2019, Vietnam now has at the same time a Creative City of Music and a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts.

UCCN was established in 2004 to promote cooperation between cities that share the goal of considering creativity as a strategic element for sustainable urban development, placing cultural and creative industries at the heart of local development plans, and actively participating in international cooperation activities.

The network currently includes 350 cities from over 100 countries, focusing on seven creative fields: Design, Literature, Music, Crafts and Folk Arts, Gastronomy, Cinema and Media Arts.

The newly recognized Creative Cities of UNESCO will strive to implement the commitments stated in their application documents, and cooperate with other members of the Network to promote measures to deal with global challenges such as climate change, increasing inequality, rapid urbanization, etc.

“Cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are playing a pioneering role in promoting access to culture and harnessing the power of creativity in sustainable urban development,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

Da Lat and Hoi An are included in the Project to develop a system of Vietnamese creative cities under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network approved by the Prime Minister and chaired and implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) is the agency in charge of implementing the Project. The Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts plays the role of professional consultant, coordinating with localities to build dossiers, implement commitments to join the UCCN...

According to the roadmap from now until 2030, every two years, a maximum of two Vietnamese cities will develop and submit applications to join the UCCN with the goal of having 4 to 6 cities recognized as UNESCO Creative Cities.

For Da Lat, becoming a UNESCO Creative City in the field of music is meaningful good news in the context of 2023, the city celebrates 130 years of formation and development.

The city hopes that, in addition to tourism, the potential of cultural industries, especially music, will play a core role in promoting international integration, sustainable urban development, connecting social and ethnic groups and improving the quality of life of the people.

Delegates attending the International Workshop on consulting on building a profile for Da Lat city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. (Source: Organizing Committee)

With a rich, diverse and unique cultural capital crystallized from hundreds of years of history, being the intersection of many cultures, Hoi An is considered a place to nurture the creative spirit of the community. Promoting the tradition of connecting East and West, actively using creative solutions to position international brands.

In its new role as a UNESCO Creative City in the field of crafts and folk arts, Hoi An will become one of the focal points in Asia spreading peace from sustainable creativity.

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