The event was co-hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and the Ninh Binh provincial People’s Committee.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Quang Ngoc said Ninh Binh is the only place in Vietnam to possess “double” UNESCO titles: Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, a mixed Cultural and Natural Heritage of the World.
He hoped that delegates will share experience and visions on specialised mechanism to unlock and mobilise resources for heritage conservation and development.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc said localities with UNESCO-recognised heritage are facing many challenges, the greatest of which is how to reach harmony of economic development and heritage conservation.
He proposed that participants shared success stories of localities in harnessing UNESCO titles to serve sustainable development, which will provide valuable lessons for localities in the process of building UNESCO nomination dossiers or seeking additional UNESCO titles.
With its vast and diverse cultural and natural resources, Vietnam has won UNESCO’s recognition for 8 world cultural and natural heritages, 15 intangible cultural heritages, 9 documentary heritages, 3 global geoparks, and 11 world biosphere reserves, said Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung in opening the conference.
He noted that many UNESCO-recognised cultural heritage items have become well-known tourist attractions, contributing to local development, citing statistics that in 2019, over 18.2 million visitors visited world heritage sites in Vietnam, generating revenues of VND1.8 trillion (over US$76.3 million at current rate).
Painting contest held for buffaloes joining ploughing festival in Ha Nam
A buffalo painting contest for the Doi Son Tich Dien (ploughing) Festivalwas held on February 10, or the sixth day of the Lunar New Year in Doi Son commune, Duy Tien district, the northern province of Ha Nam.
Over 2.5 million go on pilgrimage to ancestral land
Some 2.5 million people flocked to the northern midland province of Phu Tho to celebrate the annual Hung Kings Temple Festival as of April 23 (the eight day of the third lunar month), said the organising board.
Festival kicks off at Vietnam’s largest pagoda
The opening ceremony of the 2019 Bai Dinh Pagoda festival was held in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, the northern province of Ninh Binh on February 10 or the 6th day of the lunar new year.
Pho Hien folk cultural festival kicks off in Hung Yen
The Pho Hien Folk Cultural Festival opened in the northern province of Hung Yen on April 21.
Sam Son sea festival slated for April 21
The 2018 sea festival of Sam Son city of the north central coastal province of Thanh Hoa will take place on April 21, heard a press conference held in the city on April 12.
