All ground of Thang Long Imperial Citadel are proposed to be handed over to Hanoi city

The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has just requested Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences to direct Vietnam Institute of Archaeology for early handing all ground of C-D area of 18 Hoang Dieu archaeological monuments to the People’s Committee of Hanoi city in October 2013.

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has requested to complete the scientific document on archaeological excavation at the relic area in accordance with regulation of the Law on Cultural Heritage.

The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism will establish a Steering Board to hand over, receive all the ground, relic, documents, and materials at the 18 Hoang Dieu Archaeological monuments. It is expected that the Permanent Steering Board will be placed at Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre.

Because the Ministry of National Defence currently manages a part of Hanoi Northern Ancient Citadel, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has requested the Ministry of Defence to completion the movement of the Guest-house under the Ministry of National Defence, then hand over all the Northern area and Vietnam Military History Museum to Hanoi for management as concluded by the Ministry of National Defence and the People’s Committee of Hanoi city. Now Hanoi has arranged the land lot located at no, 266 Thuy Khue for construction of the Guest-House under the Ministry of National Defence.

In order to 8 commitments made by the Prime Minister with ICOMOS, in the last time, the People’s Committee of Hanoi city has directed and coordinated with other authorities to excavate 5 exploration pits with total area of 100m2 in 2011, of which there are 4 pits surrounding the dragon stair of Kinh Thien Palace, 1 pit near South-Western Princess’s Pagoda. In 2012, research, exploration and excavation of Kinh Thien Palace area with the area of 500m2 were made. The People’s Committee of Hanoi city is also directing the research for enlarging the buffer, developing the Decision no. 696 issued by the Prime Minister on master plan of Thang Long Imperial Citadel Centre Relic area.

For commitment to the unified management of the heritage area, the People’s Committee of Hanoi city has received the actual state of A-B area under the 18 Hoang Dieu archaeological monuments (excluding documents, research result, objects). Two C-D areas is still managed by Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, is not handed over to the People’s Committee of Hanoi city, this has affected the thorough grasp of number of relics to have plan on heritage value preservation and promotion.

Now these two excavation areas are downgraded seriously. Many mosses and plants developed on the relic’s surface which is regularly flooded by water. Many leaves, wild grass grow surrounding them and make the environment inhere unhygienic…

At Hanoi Ancient Citadel relic with the area of 13.86ha, of which the area of 9.14ha has been handed over by the Ministry of National Defence to the People’s Committee of Hanoi city, the remaining area of 4.72ha is not been handed over.

To comply with Law on Cultural Heritage, International Convention on heritage and commitment by the Government with ICOMOS, in July 2013, the People’s Committee of Hanoi city reported and recommended the Prime Minister to direct Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences to coordinate with the People’s Committee of Hanoi city to make total inventory of vestiges, relics and hand over all materials, objects, ground at the 18 Hoang Dieu archaeological monuments in 2013; and direct the related Ministries, Departments, Sectors to move and hand over the remaining area at Hanoi Ancient Citadel relic area.

Minh Anh