Promoting shared memories to preserve cultural heritage

Sharing memories is the best way to enhance social responsibility in promoting cultural heritage values, a recent workshop held in Hanoi by the National Archive Centre heard.

The National Archive Centre No. 1 at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ State Records Management and Archives Department of Vietnam has worked over the years to bring a kaleidoscope of documentary heritage items to the public, helping spread their values far and wide.

Thanks to collective memories and shared images, the organisation of the recent “Long Bien Bridge - A historical witness” exhibition at the centre was a great success. For the first time, the centre called on individuals and organisations to share documents and images of Long Bien Bridge to tell the story of the Hanoi icon.

Experts told the workshop that the role of sharing can’t be denied, even in this era of Industry 4.0, and that, policies to encourage the sharing of memories and documents should be introduced to benefit society, and help the public gain a deeper insight into the country’s history.

Participants also said that many valuable heritage items are being kept by individuals and organisations, so encouraging people to share collective memories is significant.

According to the State Records Management and Archives Department of Vietnam, the Law on Archives will be amended shortly to facilitate the sharing of heritage and collective memories. This will be the best legal tool to protect documents and heritage items./.

VNA