Deputy FM receives delegation from UNESCO World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS for restoration of Kinh Thien Palace
WVR - On the afternoon of July 24, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Standing Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairperson of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Nguyen Minh Vu welcomed a joint delegation from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) for consultations on the conservation and value promotion of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel World Heritage Site.
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| Thứ trưởng Thường trực, Chủ tịch Ủy ban Quốc gia UNESCO Việt Nam Nguyễn Minh Vũ tiếp đoàn liên ngành Trung tâm Di sản thế giới- ICOMOS vào tư vấn công tác bảo tồn và phát huy giá trị Di sản thế giới Hoàng Thành Thăng Long. |
Present the meeting were Ms. Le Thi Hong Van, Secretary-General of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and Director General of the Department for External Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy; Mr. Nguyen Thanh Quang, Director of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre; along with four senior experts from the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS.
In his remarks, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu expressed his delight at the growing cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO, particularly with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS – partners who have been accompanying and supporting Vietnam in the nomination, conservation, and promotion of its World Cultural Heritage Sites. He emphasized that this cooperation has become increasingly substantive, effective, and enduring through exchanges of delegations, technical consultations, and capacity-building activities for Vietnam’s heritage professionals.
The Deputy Minister highly valued the invaluable support UNESCO and ICOMOS had provided Vietnam in inscribing the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex as a World Cultural Heritage Site, affirming that this achievement is not only a source of national pride but also a testament to Vietnam’s efforts to preserve the shared heritage of humanity.
Particularly, he underscored the strategic importance of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel World Heritage Site – a place embodying over a millennium of Vietnamese history and cultural essence. In this context, restoring the Royal Axis and reconstructing the Kinh Thien Palace carries profound symbolic significance, reviving national spirit and affirming Vietnam’s cultural identity in the era of integration.
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| Overview of the meeting. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
The Deputy Minister noted that since Thang Long Imperial Citadel was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2010, Vietnam has made great efforts in conservation, research, and archaeological excavations to gradually clarify the scale, structure, and value of this heritage complex.
The 2023 consultation phase and this current expert mission mark important milestones in the development of the restoration dossier for Kinh Thien Palace – a sacred space historically tied to state rituals across multiple dynasties.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu expressed his hope that UNESCO and ICOMOS experts would continue to closely accompany and advise Vietnam, ensuring the dossier to be submitted to the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee scheduled for July 2026. This effort, he said, would help realize the aspiration of restoring Kinh Thien Palace – a national cultural and historical symbol at the heart of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel World Heritage Site.
On behalf of the expert delegation, Mr. George Abungu, a senior heritage conservation expert, expressed gratitude for the warm reception from the Chairperson of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and praised the thorough preparation as well as professional coordination of Vietnam’s relevant agencies.
He congratulated Vietnam on the inscription of the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex and expressed deep admiration for the extensive work Vietnam has undertaken at Thang Long Imperial Citadel following the authorized dismantling of existing structures for archaeological research.
Mr. Abungu affirmed that Vietnam is on the right track, fully adhering to the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, as well as UNESCO and ICOMOS recommendations and relevant decisions of the World Heritage Committee. He commended the scientific achievements in determining the foundations, morphology, and structure of Kinh Thien Palace – critical bases for the reconstruction project.
According to him, Thang Long Imperial Citadel serves as an exemplary model of systematic heritage conservation and introduces a comprehensive approach that integrates preservation with reconstruction. He pledged that the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS will continue to provide maximum support to Vietnam during the restoration process, aiming for success at the 48th Session, affirming that “Vietnam’s success is also ours.”
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| Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu takes a group photo with ICOMOS members. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Immediately after the meeting, the joint expert delegation departed Hanoi to continue field surveys at the Complex of Hue Monuments – Vietnam’s first World Heritage Site – and traditional craft villages such as Bat Trang and the glazed tile-making village, to better understand Vietnam’s capacity, workforce, and techniques in heritage restoration.
