Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, speaks at the opening of the exhibition. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – An exhibition titled “Vietnamese Cultural Heritage – Vitality from Tradition to Modernity” opened at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi on December 23.
The event is jointly organised by the Department of Cultural Heritage (DCH) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre, and relevant agencies. It forms part of activities marking the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23) and welcoming the 14th National Party Congress.
In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong stressed that Vietnam’s cultural heritage is an invaluable national asset, embodying the identity, wisdom, and enduring creativity of the country’s ethnic communities.
In recent years, he said, the protection and promotion of cultural heritage have received close attention and strong direction from the Party and the State, and have been increasingly institutionalised through laws, policies, and concrete action programmes.
According to Cuong, the exhibition holds practical significance, offering a systematic and vivid overview of Vietnam’s cultural heritage. It introduces the legal and policy framework for heritage protection, UNESCO-recognised heritage elements, the diversity and uniqueness of heritage in community life, and the role of cultural heritage in the country’s sustainable development. Beyond honouring heritage values, the event also aims to raise public awareness, foster a sense of responsibility, and strengthen pride in the national cause of cultural heritage preservation.
The deputy minister called on the DCH to continue working closely with relevant units to ensure the exhibition’s long-term and sustainable effectiveness. He asked for refining exhibition content to reflect new achievements in heritage protection and promotion, particularly the newly recognised elements at national and international levels, and linking exhibitions with research, education, skills transmission and public awareness-raising, especially among younger generations.
He also underlined the need to closely integrate heritage conservation with cultural tourism and the creative economy, while safeguarding original values and promoting the central role of communities. In addition, he stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation to enhance capacity in heritage management, protection and promotion amid Vietnam's deepening integration into the world.
Le Thi Thu Hien, Director of the DCH, said the exhibition aims to introduce the outstanding values of Vietnam’s cultural heritage to domestic and international visitors, while showcasing achievements in heritage safeguarding and the museum system in recent years. Through displays and interactive activities, it seeks to raise social awareness and inspire national pride, particularly among young people, in the country’s long-standing historical and cultural traditions.
She noted that Vietnam currently possesses a treasure trove of heritage. These include 3,677 national relics, 147 special national relics, about 11,000 provincial-level relics, nine world cultural and natural heritage sites, 17 elements inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and 11 documentary heritage items recognised by UNESCO. The country is also home to 183 public and private museums preserving more than 4 million artefacts, including 327 national treasures kept across nearly all of Vietnam’s 34 provinces and cities.
The exhibition will remain open to visitors until January 15, 2026./.
