HÀ NỘI — The first full-length study of Hà Nội’s cultural heritage, presented in a new book by the Centre for Research and Promotion of Cultural Value (CRPCV) under the Việt Nam Cultural Heritage Association, detailed 24 areas that need preservation.

The book is a product of a collaborative project on Việt Nam’s intangible cultural heritage by the CRPCV and the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP), under the auspices of UNESCO, conducted between 2015 and 2017.

Hà Nội: Intangible Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Life was released on Friday at Văn Miếu–Quốc Tử Giám (Temple of Literature - National University), and includes more than 100 illustrations and 22 pieces of writing focused on folklore, linguistics, theatrical performances, customs, beliefs, traditional festivals and handicraft trade villages.

It also features talks with artisans and artists. All the areas highlighted are still “alive” – they are still performed regularly in the community.

The aim of the book is to introduce the richness and value of the living cultural heritage of Hà Nội, Việt Nam’s capital city and one of its great cultural centres for 1,000 years of civilisation.

The volume is a means of documenting and memorialising the boundless merits of our ancestors and of the many generations of the communities who created and sustained an extraordinarily diverse array of cultural expressions, making Hà Nội a precious repository of ancient traditions and living creativity. The report highlights the land’s rich in cultural values and calls it a source of pride to all Vietnamese citizens, especially the people of Hà Nội.

It is published in both English and Vietnamese and will be made available in libraries, research institutes and schools.

A free version can be downloaded from ICHCAP at www2.ichcap.org/publications and from website of the Việt Nam Cultural Heritage Association at thegioidisan.vn.

Lê Thị Minh Lý, director of the CRPCV, said the book aimed to bring heritages closer to local and global communities, while connecting local preservation efforts with international organisations.

This strategy will protect and promote the cultural heritage and values of Hà Nội, she added.

The book will enhance the public’s awareness of these aspects of their heritage and depict the cultural diversity found in Việt Nam, according to Kwon Huh, ICHCAP Director General.

The official said it could also be used as educational material and to promote the preservation of the country’s heritage.

This is the first time ICHCAP has sponsored a book on the intangible cultural heritage of a city. — VNS