HÀ NỘI — A refreshed heritage education programme in Hà Nội’s schools will see Thăng Long Imperial Citadel and Cổ Loa relic site added to more curricula.

The programme was first established five years ago as part of a Government push to preserve historical relics in the city. Now, it will be strengthened thanks to a co-operation agreement between Hà Nội’s Education and Training Department (ETD) and the Thăng Long-Hà Nội Heritage Conservation Centre.

Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday, ETD Director Chử Xuân Dũng said he hoped the updated programme would nurture interest in local history and culture among children. He encouraged them to learn more about the heritage of the historic city in which they live.

Schools will coordinate with the preservation board to organise tours of the citadel as an extracurricular activity. 

According to Dũng, the conservation centre has designed learning programmes to suit different age groups.

The centre offers informational tours and talks with historians, and will teach students how to make traditional crafts such as paper fans, pottery and printing.

Tours of the Cổ Loa citadel relic site also include folk games such as tug of war and crossbow shooting, an activity associated with legends about the citadel.

Trần Việt Anh, the centre’s director, said the sides will assess and update the programme yearly based on feedback from teachers and students.

The centre developed the programming with help from UNESCO’s Hà Nội office and the Việt Nam Association of Historical Sciences.

Michael Croft, head of the UNESCO office in Hà Nội, expressed how glad he and his organisation could help develop the heritage education policy.

“It is our pleasure to be here with you all today to witness how this policy comes to life with determination and support from all relevant partners on the ground,” he said. “This is a partnership between Thăng Long Citadel World Heritage site and the Hà Nội Department of Education and Training that has resulted in a concrete plan of action.”

Croft highlighted the history of the site, which has been the political, economic and cultural centre of the Vietnamese nation for the past 1,000 years. He said many UNESCO projects have been designed to connect communities to their heritage.

Last year, more than 3,900 students participated in educational activities at the citadel, and more than 18,000 children attended other activities such as Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival held at the site.

Thăng Long Imperial Citadel was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

Cổ Loa Citadel was built during the end of the Hồng Bàng Dynasty (about 257 BC), 20km north of today’s Hà Nội. — VNS