PARIS — Member states of UNESCO adopted a decision recommending the UNESCO General Conference, scheduled for this November, endorse the commemoration of the birth anniversaries of several eminent persons worldwide, including a joint celebration with Việt Nam marking the 300th birth of scholar Lê Quý Đôn (1726–2026).

The memorial site dedicated to the cultural celebrity Lê Quý Đôn is located in Độc Lập Commune, Hưng Hà District, Thái Bình Province. Photo courtesy of Thái Bình Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

According to Ambassador Nguyễn Thị Vân Anh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, this decision, which was approved at the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board on April 10 in Paris, is extremely important. As usual, the General Conference generally agrees with the recommendations of the Executive Board.

Great man of culture Lê Quý Đôn was born in Hưng Hà District, the northern province of Thái Bình. Considered one of the greatest Vietnamese scholars in the 18th century, Lê Quý Đôn (1726-1784) left a rich intellectual legacy, including around 40 works covering such fields as history, geography, literature, poetry and philosophy.

A collection of the well-known Vietnamese composer Hoàng Vân (1930-2018) was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Photo hanoimoi.vn

The same day evening, a collection of the well-known Vietnamese composer Hoàng Vân (1930-2018) was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Hoàng Vân composed over 700 works between 1951 and 2010. His collection stands out for its diversity in form, genre, and musical style, reflecting a deep engagement with Việt Nam’s cultural and social history, especially the lives of women and marginalised communities.

The composer's collection offers valuable insights for scholars studying the development of culture and music in post-colonial Việt Nam, as well as cultural exchanges within the socialist bloc. It illustrates the symbiosis between European and Asian musical traditions, highlighting the significance of East-West musical fusion.

According to Ambassador Anh, the collection’s rich diversity in genres and forms, along with its profound content, meets several key UNESCO criteria, especially its historical significance and global value. VNA/VNS