Hanoi was designated a creative city of design by the United Nations agency.
The new 66 UNESCO Creative Cities also include Mumbai and Hyderabad (India), Bangkok and Sukhothai (Thailand), Bergamo and Biella (Italy), Havana and Trinidad (Cuba), and Essaouira (Morocco) among others.
The Creative Cities Network was launched in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
With the new 66 newly-designated cities, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities from all regions of the world, which base their development strategies on seven creative themes, including music, arts and folk crafts, design, cinema, literature, digital arts, and gastronomy.
Hanoi submitted its dossier to seek the UNESCO title in June 2019. The dossier was prepared by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports with the coordination of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, the UNESCO Office in Hanoi, and relevant sectors and agencies.
By winning UNESCO’s recognition, Hanoi will be provided with more opportunities to cooperate with other creative cities in the network while advertising itself as a more attractive destination for visitors.
