Many relics in 'golden' locations of Ho Chi Minh City have not yet been ranked.

Ho Chi Minh City currently has 231 structures and locations that have not been classified as relics. Among them are many urban architectural structures located in 'golden' locations.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral (also known as Notre Dame Cathedral) is on the list of relics inventory - Photo: TTD

On the afternoon of October 23, at a regular press conference at the Ho Chi Minh City Press Center, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports informed that up to now, Ho Chi Minh City has 321 ranked relics.

Of these, there are 4 special national relics, 99 national relics, and 218 provincial relics. These relics are distributed in 3 areas (according to the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage).

231 works and locations not yet classified as relics

A representative of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City answered a question from Tuoi Tre Online , saying that in the current inventory of relics, there are 231 structures and locations that have not been classified as relics.

Specifically, area 1 has 140 works, of which 7 have been ranked, the remaining 133 works and locations have not been ranked.

Area 2 will be inventoried, approved and the inventory list will be published in 2026. Area 3 has 141 works, 48 ​​of which have been ranked, and the remaining 98 have not been ranked.

The Department said many works and locations still face difficulties in ranking as relics.

These are a group of urban architectural works located in the central area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City, with a "golden" location, under the management of central agencies, high commercial value, and difficult to preserve due to urban development pressure.

Religious buildings such as churches and pagodas have specific characteristics in terms of ownership and management, and are concerned about the classification of relics. It is also difficult to unify the scope of protected areas and legal procedures for repair, renovation or construction.

As for the group of historical relics, because the witnesses of the resistance war against France and the US are now old, many of them are no longer alive or have limited memory, so the original documents, materials and artifacts have been lost over time and war, making it difficult to verify the source of documents and supplement scientific records to serve the ranking of relics.

Panoramic view inside Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral - Photo: TTD

Proposing many mechanisms to support relic conservation work

For units that are difficult to access or have not agreed to rank the relic, a representative of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City shares the solution:

“The Department holds working sessions, exchanges, and listens to opinions of relevant organizations and individuals; issues propaganda, mobilization, and persuasion documents to raise awareness of the meaning and value of heritage conservation.

At the same time, the department coordinates with scientists, press agencies, and media to create dissemination and social consensus. With historical relics, the department organizes scientific seminars and discussions to supplement, recognize, and affirm the historical, cultural, and scientific values ​​of works and locations.

Ten Lơ Man High School (Ernst Thälmann) was ranked as a city-level monument in 2025 - Photo: TTD

In addition, the department also creates conditions for owners and investors to renovate and embellish relics in a harmonious direction between conservation and development, ensuring compliance with current planning and laws.

Regarding the policy for non-state-owned relics, in addition to enjoying the subsidy regime according to the decision of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports is researching and proposing new mechanisms and policies to increase support for relic conservation work, such as allocating budget capital for restoration and embellishment activities and building a Cultural Heritage Conservation Fund to promptly support degraded relics.

Tan Dinh Market will be ranked as a city-level relic in 2025 - Photo: TTD

In 2025, the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City advised the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to issue 14 decisions to rank city-level relics, including: the base of Cho Lon Provincial Party Committee, Saigon - Cho Lon City Party Committee at Vuon Thom; Truong family temple and the tomb of Mr. and Mrs. Truong Minh Thanh; Go Queo ancient tomb park;

Red Areca Garden Memorial Area; An Khanh Temple; Long Binh Temple; Long Hoa Temple; Mariamman Temple; Tan Phuoc Temple; Phu An Temple; Saigon University, Trung Vuong High School, Ernst Thälmann High School, Tan Dinh Market.

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HOAI PHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhieu-di-tich-nam-vi-tri-vang-cua-tp-hcm-van-chua-xep-hang-20251023172007122.htm