RESTORING THE GRANDEUR: UNESCO has given the green light for work to start restoring the Celestial Palace in the grounds of the Thăng Long Citadel. — VNS Photo Trương Vị

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội is beginning a project to restore the Celestial Palace in the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel today, after spending years convincing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to allow the capital's cultural authorities to conduct the work.

Attendees at the ongoing Asia-Pacific Dialogue on Heritage and Authenticity in Hà Nội will witness the launching ceremony with UNESCO officials, who are currently taking part in dialogue-related activities until October 1.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung told the dialogue yesterday: "Culture must be treated alongside the economy, politics and social affairs."

Hosted in both Hà Nội and Ninh Bình, the dialogue brought together UNESCO's top cultural researchers, experts and authorities on world heritage preservation.

In his opening speech, Trung emphasised the pivotal role of culture and heritage in building trust and promoting peace, cooperation and sustainable development. He added that in a rapidly changing world context, culture and heritage play increasingly important roles.

Culture bridges understanding and builds trust between nations. It also serves as the foundation for peace, cooperation and development. Each preserved heritage site becomes a nation's pride and proves the diversity and creativity of human endeavours.

In the Asia-Pacific region, rapid economic growth has placed greater pressure on heritage due to urbanisation, infrastructure development and climate change. The foreign minister said that maintaining a harmonious balance between preservation and growth is a good lesson for other countries around the world.

Trung confirmed Việt Nam's policy of preserving heritage for future growth, and using economic growth to provide conditions for further preservation, while paying respect to the original site and boosting the community throughout the process. Việt Nam has chosen a path of sustainable growth, and will not trade its traditions or heritage solely for economic development.

He also emphasised Việt Nam's perspective on culture, saying that it must be put on the same level as the economy, politics and social affairs. Cultural heritage is a priceless asset for a country, showing the nation's roots and becoming part of the greater global cultural heritage.

At the conference, he suggested new approaches to place focus on the people and communities, while also fostering solidarity and international cooperation and stressing the need to acknowledge action.

CULTURE CROWD: Participants at the ongoing UNESCO conference on Culture and Authenticity at the groundbreaking ceremony for a project to restore the Celestial Palace in Hà Nội's Thăng Long Citadel. VNA/VNS Photo Khánh Hòa

Trung also suggested setting up an Asia-Pacific Heritage Cooperation Network, organising training for young regional heritage experts and maintaining a regular dialogue on the region's heritage.

The minister said that Việt Nam will continue to prioritise funding heritage preservation, speeding up the digital transformation, training experts and mobilising businesses society to participate. The conference is expected to result in a Hà Nội Declaration on Heritage and Authenticity, giving realistic directions to identify, preserve and manage heritage assets.

Looking forward to 2027, when Việt Nam hosts APEC, culture and heritage are expected to continue their role in promoting sustainable tourism, innovative industries and people to people exchanges in the region.

For now, dialogue participants will also travel to Ninh Bình to visit the Tràng An and Tam Chúc sites after the groundbreaking ceremony for the Celestial Palace in Hà Nội.

A Hà Nội announcement on heritage and authenticity will be released as the talks conclude later this week.

At the dialogue, Deputy Secretary of Hà Nội Party Committee Nguyễn Văn Phong said the city has more than 6,000 heritage sites and thousands of other documented intangible heritage assets, as well as national treasures and UNESCO-accredited sites.

They represent Hà Nội's pride, but also require greater responsibilities to protect them. Phong said that in the city's 100-year master plan, civilisation, nature and creativity will serve as the core values for Hà Nội to achieve balance between keeping its heritage and building a modern, civilised, innovative and globally integrated urban centre.

Last year, at the 48th session of the UNESCO Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea, the committee approved Việt Nam's proposal to restore the Celestial Palace within the Thăng Long Citadel grounds.

Prior to the decision, UNESCO allowed Việt Nam to dismantle the citadel's buildings that were constructed during French colonial rule with full documentation, so that they can be rebuilt elsewhere.

The Thăng Long Citadel was recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 2010, when the city celebrated its 1,000th anniversary since King Lý Công Uẩn made Thăng Long the capital of the Đại Việt Kingdom. VNS