Paris (VNA) – Member states of UNESCO adopted a decision recommending the UNESCO General Conference, scheduled for this November, endorse the commemoration of the birth anniversaries of several eminent persons worldwide, including a joint celebration with Vietnam marking the 300th birth of scholar Le Quy Don (1726–2026).
According to Ambassador Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, this decision, which was approved at the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board on April 10 in Paris, is extremely important. As usual, the General Conference generally agrees with the recommendations of the Executive Board.
Great man of culture Le Quy Don was born in Hung Ha district, the northern province of Thai Binh. Considered one of the greatest Vietnamese scholars in the 18th century, Le Quy Don (1726-1784) left a rich intellectual legacy, including around 40 works covering such fields as history, geography, literature, poetry and philosophy.
The same day evening, a collection of the well-known Vietnamese composer Hoang Van (1930-2018) was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Hoang Van composed over 700 works between 1951 and 2010. His collection stands out for its diversity in form, genre, and musical style, reflecting a deep engagement with Vietnam’s cultural and social history, especially the lives of women and marginalised communities.
The composer's collection offers valuable insights for scholars studying the development of culture and music in post-colonial Vietnam, as well as cultural exchanges within the socialist bloc. It illustrates the symbiosis between European and Asian musical traditions, highlighting the significance of East-West musical fusion.
According to Ambassador Anh, the collection’s rich diversity in genres and forms, along with its profound content, meets several key UNESCO criteria, especially its historical significance and global value./.
