Displaying many valuable documents about the non-Co Loa cultural heritage"

Opening of the exhibition “Heritage Echoes - Colors of Co Loa Intangible Cultural Heritage”. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.

Co Loa - a land of thousands of years of cultural sediments - is not only famous for its ancient citadel relics associated with the period of An Duong Vuong's founding of the country, but also for preserving a rich treasure of intangible cultural heritages, passed down through generations. These values are clearly expressed in traditional festivals, An Duong Vuong worship, folk performing arts, customs, rituals and daily life of the local community.

Speaking at the exhibition, Ms. Nguyen Hong Chi, Deputy Director of the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, said: With meeting many criteria on Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), integrity, continuity and authenticity according to the Guidelines for the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, on November 13, 2025, the Hanoi People's Committee officially sent a document to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for consideration and submission to the Prime Minister for permission to prepare a dossier to nominate the Co Loa Relic Site to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the List of World Cultural Heritage.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Chi, Deputy Director of the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, spoke. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.

The exhibition “Heritage Echoes - Colors of Co Loa Intangible Cultural Heritage” is a meaningful activity, continuing to honor, promote and spread the great value of Co Loa intangible cultural heritage - the sacred land preserving the legend of building and defending the country of the Vietnamese people.

“Through exhibitions and folk art performances, we hope to contribute to arousing pride, love for the homeland and a sense of responsibility to preserve and promote the value of cultural heritage so that heritage is not only a memory of the past but also a valuable spiritual resource for sustainable development today and tomorrow,” said Ms. Nguyen Hong Chi.

Art performance at the opening ceremony. Photo: Nguyen Thuy

The exhibition "Heritage Echoes - Colors of Co Loa Intangible Cultural Heritage" is distilled from the dossier of the Co Loa Special National Monument; the dossier of the Co Loa Festival recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center; research works of scientists ; documents and images collected by the French School of the Far East (EFEO), the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, the Co Loa Relic Site Management Board, and private photo collections...

The exhibition introduces more than 100 documents and images with content divided into 3 main themes. The opening part, titled "Colors of Co Loa intangible cultural heritage", introduces all types of intangible cultural heritage at Co Loa relic site. Through sacred rituals, folk rhythms and daily customs, viewers can feel a unique panorama of the cultural and spiritual life of the community in the ancient capital - where culture has been crystallized over thousands of years of history.

Delegates viewing the exhibition. Photo: Nguyen Thuy

Theme 2 – “The Quintessence of a Thousand Years” – is a space to honor the most unique values in the cultural and spiritual life of Co Loa residents. Through sub-themes, the public is led on a journey of discovery from the myth of the founding of the country to folk activities, from bustling festivals to daily life.

Theme 3 – “Living forever with time” – talks about the journey of integration and development, where amidst the modern pace of life, the intangible cultural heritage of Co Loa – Dong Anh is still preserved, passed on and continued through each generation. This opens up opportunities for the younger generation to learn and be proud of their national roots.

The exhibition will open to visitors from November 21, 2025 at the Co Loa Relic Site Exhibition House, Chua village, Dong Anh commune, Hanoi.

Over the course of more than 2,000 years of history, Co Loa has been chosen as the capital of Vietnam many times during the reign of King An Duong (3rd century BC), the reign of King Ly Nam De (6th century) and the reign of Ngo Quyen (10th century). Not only was it a political and military center in ancient times, Co Loa was also a place where unique values of architecture, military technology, material and spiritual culture of the Vietnamese people converged.

In addition to the massive tangible cultural heritage system, Co Loa also preserves a rich treasure of intangible cultural heritage, including the Co Loa Festival, sacrificial rituals, legends, social customs, folk performing arts, cuisine and traditional crafts. All create a vivid cultural picture, reflecting the soul and unique identity of the thousand-year-old land of Thang Long - Hanoi.

The intangible heritage in Co Loa is the “extended thread” from the legend of the nation’s founding to the journey of integration today. Preserving and promoting these values not only helps the local community deeply connect with its roots but also contributes to introducing the image of Co Loa, which is both rich in tradition and dynamic and creative – a testament to the everlasting vitality of Vietnamese culture.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/trung-bay-nhieu-tu-lieu-quy-ve-di-san-van-hoa-phi-co-loa-723934.html