Unblocking bottlenecks to promote heritage values

Faced with urgent demands and requirements from reality, the system of legal documents on cultural heritage has gradually revealed a number of limitations and inadequacies. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to continue amending and supplementing the Law on Cultural Heritage. The Law on Cultural Heritage No. 45/2024/QH15, passed by the 15th National Assembly , will take effect from July 1, 2025, creating the most favorable legal corridor for activities to protect and promote the values of the nation's cultural heritage.

The art of hát bội in Vĩnh Long province has been included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.

Clearing bottlenecks

The 2001 Law on Cultural Heritage, amended in 2009, has shown many shortcomings in meeting practical requirements for management after 24 years of implementation.

According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, the 2024 Law on Cultural Heritage has concretized three policies approved by the Government and the National Assembly in the Project on building the Law on Cultural Heritage: perfecting regulations on protecting and promoting the values of cultural heritage; perfecting regulations on implementing decentralization and delegation of state management of cultural heritage in accordance with reality; strengthening mechanisms and policies to promote socialization and improve the efficiency of mobilizing resources to protect and promote the values of cultural heritage.

The 2024 Law on Cultural Heritage consists of 9 chapters and 95 articles, an increase of 2 chapters and 22 articles compared to the current law (7 chapters and 73 articles), which has fully institutionalized the Party and State's guidelines and policies on culture and cultural heritage, overcome and remove institutional bottlenecks, with new points and breakthrough changes, deeply affecting all aspects of the country's cultural, social and economic life, creating a fundamental shift in position and strength for the cause of managing, protecting and promoting the value of cultural heritage of the whole country and localities, in accordance with practical requirements. This meets the goal of "promoting the driving role of culture, sports and tourism for the sustainable development of the country".

In particular, the current Law on Cultural Heritage lacks regulations on a number of museum areas regarding the transfer of ownership to non-public museums repatriating relics and antiquities of Vietnamese origin from abroad; on the authority and appraisal of projects to renovate, build, upgrade museums or exhibition projects, adjust the content and form of museum exhibitions, and the transfer of relics, antiquities, and national treasures to display, research, and preserve at other locations in the country... The Law on Cultural Heritage 2024 has specifically regulated the above contents, meeting the requirements of innovation and improving the quality of museum activities in the current period.

The 2024 Law on Cultural Heritage also updates new issues on management, operation, copyright, exploitation rights, use, storage, etc., creating a legal corridor for regulating activities of protecting, exploiting, using and promoting the value of cultural heritage on the basis of digital technology. At the same time, it supports the application of achievements in digital technology, artificial intelligence and other advanced scientific and technical technologies in the management, preservation, storage, exploitation, use and promotion of the value of cultural heritage in modern society, etc.

Efforts to protect and promote heritage values

According to the Vinh Long Museum and Tourism Promotion, in recent times, the work of protecting relics and antiquities at the relics has always been focused on. The museum has organized many inventory rounds of artifacts and antiquities at the relics to manage the quantity and understand the value of the artifacts. There are over 10,000 relics and antiquities at the relics that have been catalogued and given instructions for preservation. Vinh Long Museum preserves over 27,000 documents and artifacts.

Among them, there is an artifact, the Vishnu statue, which was recognized as a national treasure in 2018. Up to now, Vinh Long province has 4 intangible heritages included in the list of national intangible cultural heritages. They are: The Festival of the Tomb of General Dieu Bat Nguyen Van Ton in Tra On district; Tofu making village, My Hoa commune, Binh Minh town; Van Thanh temple festival and the art of singing in Vinh Long province.

Implementing the direction of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has presided over and coordinated with relevant agencies and People's Committees of districts, towns and cities to organize the inventory of historical and cultural relics and compile the inventory list, solicit comments from specialized agencies to complete the list, submit to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and issue a decision for approval.

Accordingly, the whole province has 6 works and locations that meet the criteria to be proposed for ranking as national relics; 55 works and locations that meet the criteria to be proposed for ranking as provincial relics; 438 works and locations that are proposed for preservation. Of these, 6 works and locations meet the criteria to be proposed for ranking as national relics, including: Mau Than Victory Monument; Ba Thien Hau Temple; Ngoc Vien Monastery (Vinh Long City); Monument commemorating the establishment of the first Party cell of Vinh Long Province (Long Ho District); Memorial Site of Professor and Academician Tran Dai Nghia; Cai Son Victory Monument (Tam Binh District).

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued a plan to implement the Law on Cultural Heritage. It specifically defines the work contents, deadlines, progress of completion and responsibilities of relevant agencies and units in organizing the implementation of the Law on Cultural Heritage to ensure consistency, unity, effectiveness and efficiency.

Identify responsibilities and coordination mechanisms between localities and relevant agencies and units in implementing activities to implement the Law on Cultural Heritage throughout the province. At the same time, raise awareness and responsibility of all levels, sectors and people in implementing the Law on Cultural Heritage and documents detailing a number of articles of the law.

The statue of Vishnu was recognized as a national treasure in 2018.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism also proposed to post and update the full text of the Law on Cultural Heritage and documents detailing the implementation of the law on the Electronic Information Portal of the Provincial People's Committee, Commune People's Committees, and the Department's Electronic Information Page so that cadres, civil servants, public employees, workers and people can easily access, exploit and use it.

In addition, compile, publish, release and widely disseminate documents introducing the Law on Cultural Heritage and documents guiding its implementation. Organize specialized training, professional development and compile training materials for human resources in managing, protecting and promoting the value of cultural heritage in the province.

With the new points, fundamental changes and supplements of the Law on Cultural Heritage, the bottlenecks will be cleared. Together with the efforts of local authorities at all levels, the strength of organizations and individuals will be mobilized in the cause of protecting, preserving and promoting the value of heritage.

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son - Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society, commented that one of the most progressive and expected points of the 2024 Heritage Law is the idea of expanding the space for participation in conservation work, especially the role of the community and the private sector. This is an important shift from the model of the State alone protecting heritage to the model of the whole society working together to preserve memories and identities.

Article and photos: PHUONG THU

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/202506/khoi-thong-diem-nghen-de-phat-huy-gia-tri-di-san-8170ef2/