6:43:38 AM | 10/8/2011
Hanoi has been the centre of Vietnamese culture for more than 1,000 years; hence, it gathers a number of invaluable heritages. Apart from UNESCO-recognised heritages, the city is studying cultural and historical values of such heritages as water puppetry, Ancient Quarters, Duong Lam Ancient Village and Huong (Perfume) Pagoda landscape to apply for UNESCO recognition. To learn more about Hanoi’s efforts for preserving and promoting heritage values, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Truong Minh Tien, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Hoang Tham reports.
Could you talk about Hanoi’s tourism potential and development strategies for the coming time?
Hanoi is known to international visitors as a secure and attractive destination. Apart from its advantages in historical relics and landscapes, the city is also famous for ecological tourism, festival tourism and cottage village tourism after its administrative area is expanded. The former Hanoi is strong at historical tourism and MICE while the greater Hanoi is endowed with natural landscapes like Huong Son, Suoi Hai, Ba Vi, Ao Vua, Khoang Xanh - Suoi Tien, Thien Son - Suoi Nga, Dong Mo, Dam Long - Bang Ta, etc. These attractions are ideal for ecotourism, weekend relaxation and amusement.
In addition, the greater Hanoi has nearly 5,000 historical relics and landscapes, including 2,104 rated ones (765 relics at national level) like Co Loa rampart, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (Literature Temple), Huong (Perfume) Pagoda, Tay Phuong Pagoda and Duong Lam ancient Vietnamese village. Together with historical values, Hanoi is focusing on developing cultural tourism. In 2010, the capital city welcomed some 1.2 million international visitor arrivals, up 18 percent year on year, and 10.6 million domestic visitors, up 16 percent over 2009. In the first five months of 2011, the city served nearly 5.7 million visitors, including over 552,000 internationals, up 20 percent over the same period in 2010.
To meet the lodging demand by visitors, Hanoi has built nearly 800 accommodation establishments, including 213 hotels. The Hanoi tourism authorities and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) are surveying 3-5-star hotels to label “Green Lotus” on qualified ones. This move is in line with environment protection criteria of the tourism sector in the process of international economic integration.
Hanoi is trying to build national tourism action programmes and tourism promotion programmes for the 2011 - 2015 period and regularly organising two annual events: Hanoi International Tourism Fair and Hanoi Gastronomy Festival. It will launch cultural tourism promotion programmes in major and potential markets; build community-based tourism products and ancient/handicraft village cultures; work with competent authorities to prevent pricing violations in Noi Bai Airport and places of interest; guarantee security and food safety; and train human resources to meet new development requirements. Specially, the city will accelerate studies for early completion of tourism development plan for the period till 2020 and vision to 2030.
How has the department advised the municipal authorities about preserving and promoting heritage values, especially the UNESCO-recognised heritages?
For UNESCO-recognised heritages, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism advises the municipal and district authorities to set up heritage management boards and convinces local residents to protect the heritages. It also collaborates with international and national organisations to further studies to elucidate heritage values. Taking the Thang Long Royal Citadel for example, the department proposed plans for multilayer protection and training for protectors.
The department also erected a roof to protect 82 credit stone steles at the Literature Temple since 1993 in order to keep them away from natural ruin. The management board is applying different measures to protect the heritage like raising a fence line to prevent visitor invasion. In 2010, when stone steles were recognised as the world documentary heritage, the board covered the red carpet on the ground and displayed Bat Trang potteries to form an outdoor exhibition space.
The city is studying cultural and historical values and applying measures to preserve, protect and promote such heritages as Ca Tru, water puppetry, Ancient Quarters, Duong Lam Ancient Village.
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