Continuing the legacy

Author Anna Hoang, 15 years old, shares: I was born and raised in London, but my parents are Vietnamese, so I love Vietnam very much! For me, Tet (Vietnamese New Year) means the whole family making banh chung (traditional rice cakes), and my parents going to the market early in the morning to buy apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, and kumquat trees to decorate the house brightly.

Top heritage destination

For heritage-loving communities, the four "gems" of global significance in different fields, recognized by the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2025, have become a special milestone, all associated with the memorable phrase "first time."

For the first time, we have a "chain of heritage sites" spanning three provinces and cities (Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiet Bac complex of historical and scenic sites), and a "cross-border heritage site" between Vietnam and Laos (Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park).

This also marks the first time a private collection (of musician Hoang Van) has been included in the " World Documentary Heritage" list, and a traditional craft (making Dong Ho folk paintings) has been classified as "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding".

My Son Sanctuary, a World Cultural Heritage site.

Thanks to this, the list of valuable human heritage that we are honored to contribute to continues to grow, with 9 natural and cultural heritage sites, 17 intangible cultural heritage sites, and 11 documentary heritage sites belonging to the "Memory of the World Heritage". Adding 143 special national monuments, 3,677 national monuments, and 498 national intangible cultural heritage sites, Vietnam has become a land possessing a gold mine of heritage with the richest reserves in the region.

That's not even counting the 9 World Biosphere Reserves, 5 Global Geoparks, 9 RAMSAR sites, and 12 ASEAN Heritage Gardens generously bestowed upon Vietnam by Mother Nature.

In addition, the inclusion of 6 members of the "Global Learning Network" and 5 "Best Tourist Villages in the World" has further enriched and diversified the proud list of international achievements.

This gold mine has contributed significantly to the spectacular growth figures of Vietnam's tourism industry, welcoming over 21 million international tourists and generating estimated tourism and travel revenue of nearly 94 trillion VND (both increasing by more than 20% compared to 2024).

[Infographic] Vietnam honored as "World's Leading Heritage Destination" for the 5th time.

26/11/2024 17:09

This also explains the parallel awards that the domestic tourism industry often receives at recent World Travel Awards ceremonies, where the title of "Destination" is always accompanied by the title of "Leading Heritage Destination" in Asia/the world.

In fact, we seem to be dominating these two prestigious categories, having won the top spot as the global "heritage destination" six times and the "leading destination in Asia" seven times.

These convincing double victories are seen as recognition from friends around the world for the tireless efforts in developing diverse tourism products while simultaneously preserving and effectively promoting heritage values. It can be said that heritage has become an effective springboard, helping "Vietnam become a bright spot on the global tourism map" - as affirmed by Graham Cooke, Chairman and founder of this award, considered the "Oscar of the tourism industry".

Throughout thousands of years of glorious history of nation-building and defense, the vibrant lifeblood of the national cultural heritage has enabled this treasure trove to remain indomitable and resilient, weathering the ups and downs of history while still shaping a unique, distinctive, and captivating identity. Thanks to this enduring vitality, the heritage can preserve the golden essence of the past, while simultaneously connecting strongly with the present and guiding sustainable development for the future.

Continuing the legacy through the creativity of young people.

For heritage to continue to exist as a living entity, becoming an essential and inseparable part of daily life and contributing effectively to future socio-economic development, community collaboration is considered a key pillar.

And in a world changing daily with AI and miraculous scientific advancements, young people naturally assume the responsibility of playing a pivotal role in that community. Because they possess youthful energy, the ability to grasp technology, and the capacity to understand the heritage – where the essence of generations of ancestors has been accumulated – this will become an inexhaustible source of energy that helps them to create and thrive.

Numerous examples can be cited to illustrate this. Starting from the premise of a famous dish, the game "Brother Hai's Pho Shop" suddenly went viral, quickly crossing borders and captivating millions of international followers who enthusiastically transformed themselves into pho vendors to "step into a truly friendly yet mysterious Vietnam" - as shared by a famous streamer.

"The practice of the Mother Goddess worship of the Three Realms of the Vietnamese people" was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.

Choosing ceramics as their central artistic inspiration, the Dan Do group of artists created the GOm Show - Sounds from Ceramics. Ceramics inspired them to create unique musical instruments such as jar drums, lutes, earthenware gongs, and earthenware bells. Ceramics are not just a material - they are a bridge connecting people and nature.

Following the recent UNESCO recognition of Dong Ho folk painting, a group of students from the Faculty of Communication and Foreign Cultural Relations (Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam) immediately created a Dong Ho painting circus. Using this art form, rich in visual elements and with few language barriers, to recreate the stories hidden behind the famous paintings is the approach they chose to bring the essence of this heritage to the community.

Audiences surely haven't forgotten the works that breathed contemporary life into traditional colors, causing a sensation online in the "Brother-Sister Beauty" game show wave, such as "Trong Com," "Co Doi Thuong Ngan," and "Da Co Hoai Lang"... Nor can they forget the international mark that Duc Phuc and Phuong My Chi achieved with songs inspired by the nation's past, such as "Phu Dong Thien Vuong," "Bong Phu Hoa," and "Ly Bac Bo"... And the projects that marked milestones in the careers of many artists, such as "Hoang" by Hoang Thuy Linh and "Nhung Khuc Ca Viet Co" by Le Cat Trong Ly...

There are many interesting and practical innovations that could be added, such as incorporating the "National Treasures" collection into calendar blocks, catalogs, and stamp releases; transforming famous ancient sculptures into multi-sized versions for gifts or souvenirs; and incorporating Hang Trong folk painting motifs into everyday products...

Young people are also always at the forefront of projects to digitize heritage, thereby building effective technological bridges that are accessible and more appealing to the masses. It is also they, driven by their love for ancient traditions, who diligently copy, research, and restore ancient costumes, preserve folk music, and create historical animated films through increasingly professional activities of groups such as: Nguyen Phong Doan Linh, Y Van Hien, Dinh Lang Viet, Cheo 48 Gio, Duoc Moi, Hac Than Studio...

The added value derived from the gifts of our ancestors goes beyond simply transmitting identity and pride, strengthening national unity; it also lays the foundation for the development of culture, economy, and tourism, inspiring future generations to boldly transform "heritage" into "assets." The active participation and boundless creative efforts of today's youth in all fields, shaping the overall landscape of contemporary cultural industries (cultural tourism, performing arts, music, film, design, software, etc.), demonstrate the initial success of "heritage economics"—a strategic direction for the sustainable development of Vietnamese culture.

May the vitality of Vietnam, Vietnamese culture, and Vietnamese heritage endure forever with the Vietnamese people!

Source: https://nhandan.vn/noi-dong-di-san-post943291.html