Co Loa Relic Site aims for World Heritage status
WVR - Hanoi is continuing to refine the scientific arguments to clarify the global outstanding value of Co Loa, aiming to build a nomination dossier for World Heritage status.
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On August 12, the People's Committee of Hanoi, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre, in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Hanoi, organized a scientific conference titled “Identifying the Global Outstanding Value of the Co Loa Relic Site”.
The conference aimed to supplement the scientific basis for completing the Summary Report to be submitted to UNESCO for consideration of Co Loa's inclusion in the Tentative List of World Heritage nominations.
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| Scene of the scientific conference “Identifying the Global Outstanding Value of the Co Loa Relic Site”. (Source: Van Hoa) |
Clarifying regional significance
Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hanoi Vu Thu Ha emphasized that Co Loa is one of the prominent heritages of the capital. The research and preparation of the nomination dossier for Co Loa to be presented to UNESCO not only aims to honor the historical and cultural values of the heritage but also contributes to affirming the historical depth, cultural identity, and position of Thang Long - Hanoi in the process of human civilization.
Ms. Vu Thu Ha urged scientists, management agencies, local authorities, and the community to further deepen the arguments about the global outstanding value, standardize the attribute system, and complete international comparisons as required by UNESCO. Additionally, solutions need to be researched to harmonize heritage conservation with ensuring community life and urban development.
Nguyen Thanh Quang, Director of the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, suggested that instead of merely questioning Co Loa's importance to Vietnam, it is crucial to clarify what Co Loa contributes to the global understanding of the formation of early states, the organization of power spaces, and human adaptation to the natural environment.
According to him, the orientation for building the argument for Co Loa's Global Outstanding Value focuses on criteria (iii) and (iv) of the World Heritage Convention. Co Loa is a significant material evidence of the formation of early states based on the Dong Son culture, reflecting the convergence of metallurgy, wet rice agriculture, waterway transport, military engineering, and social organization.
Beyond its three-ring structure, Co Loa's value also lies in the organic connection between the citadel, moat, Hoang Giang River, and the Red River network. This is a unified entity that demonstrates the combination of construction techniques, irrigation, terrain exploitation, and social organization to form a large-scale power center and settlement.
Conservation linked with development planning
Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong, Head of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of the Project on Conservation, Restoration, and Promotion of the Value of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Co Loa Relic Site, assessed that the conference not only serves the preparation of the dossier for UNESCO recognition of Co Loa as a world cultural heritage but also contributes to systematizing research and identifying tasks that need to be continued.
According to Nguyen Van Phong, Co Loa needs to be placed within the overall planning and development process of Hanoi. The city is implementing a 100-year plan, identifying the Red River as the central axis and the area north of the Red River as one of the development drivers. Therefore, research and planning for Co Loa should be conducted early to prevent urbanization from impacting the relic site.
He suggested systematizing research results on Co Loa and the northern Hanoi area; accelerating digitization for research, education, communication, and promotion of heritage values. Additionally, further archaeological, architectural, and Hoang Giang River research is needed; studying the inhabitants of the Co Loa area through different periods to further clarify the outstanding values of the relic.
The city has also decided to invest in a Heritage Park at Co Loa. According to Nguyen Van Phong, it is necessary to study the model of organization, operation, exploitation, and effective promotion of the park, while also referencing international experiences. “The important thing is not just to prepare the nomination dossier but to build a good plan, gradually implementing practical, effective, and sustainable investment solutions,” Nguyen Van Phong emphasized.
Opinions at the conference indicated that the preparation of the nomination dossier for Co Loa should be based on interdisciplinary research, clarifying the unique, distinctive, and globally outstanding values of the heritage.
Along with completing the scientific arguments as required by UNESCO, delegates emphasised the need to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the relic, linking conservation with community life, urban planning, and sustainable development. This will be a crucial foundation for Hanoi to continue refining the nomination dossier while enhancing the conservation and promotion of Co Loa's value, aiming to make this heritage a part of the common heritage of humanity.
