Curtis said that Vietnam is currently home to 15 recognised intangible heritages and the first country to switch some heritages from the list of urgent protection to the list of the common heritage of the humanity.

A performance of Hue court music, a UNESCO-recognised world intangible cultural heritage.

The country has also showed its active role through its engagement in the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage twice.

Vietnam has supplemented the Cultural Heritage Law 2009 with a number of new cultural policies, including the recognition of intangible cultural heritage.

Currently in Vietnam, intangible cultural heritages are recognised not only in national policies but also by all regions, all localities and all ethnic groups, he said, hailing Vietnam’s strong efforts in the work.

Vietnam has been aware of the role of culture in the sustainable development and has put culture at a high position in its national development policy, he stated, underlining that this is an important message that the country is spreading.

According to Curtis, the 2003 Convention, which has taken effect for 20 years, has been ratified by 181 UNESCO member countries, showing that the convention is meaningful for all.

Regarding measures that Vietnam should take to protect its intangible cultural heritages, Curtis said that the protection of intangible cultural heritage takes place through the transfer between generations which must ensure its continuity.

It is necessary to design new mechanism, while working with communities and integrating knowledge on heritage into education and paying more attention to young people, as they are the person who will transfer the knowledge to future generations, he said.

Overall, the protection of intangible cultural heritage should aim at achieving sustainable development goals either in agriculture, education or poverty reduction, he said, adding that intangible cultural heritage matters should also be integrated into development policies. Vietnam has so far shown strong performance in the work and should continue to follow this direction, he stated.

Foreign Minister meets UNESCO World Heritage Centre Director

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 27 for Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo, who is paying a visit to Vietnam.

Folk singing festival of Luc Ngan’s ethnic groups proposed to be intangible cultural heritage

(BGO) – The Department of Science and Technology has had a working session and surveyed condition to propose science and technology task at the provincial level. It aimed to make proposal to recognize the Folk singing festival of Luc Ngan’s ethnic groups as intangible cultural heritage starting from 2024.

Developing cultural industries from heritage resources

Hanoi has set the target that by 2025, the cultural industry will contribute 5% of the city's GRDP. With the advantage of relics, heritage and craft villages, Hanoi will focus on exploiting heritage values to develop cultural industries.

The land of heritage

(BGO) – Van Ha commune (Viet Yen district) is located on the north bank of Cau river and about 48 kilometers away from Hanoi capital. Two villages of Van Ha and Tho Ha are considered a “sacred land with extraordinary people” and famous for pottery village and Van village wine. 

Preparations underway for UNESCO recognition of Oc Eo - Ba The as World Heritage Site

The authorities of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on January 6 held a conference to review a decade of the operation of the Oc Eo - Ba The special national relic site (2012-2022), and announce a plan to prepare a dossier seeking UNESCO recognition of the archaeological location as a World Heritage Site.

Source: VNA