Urgent petition from scientists on protection of the world’s heritage Central Sector of Thang Long Imperial Citadel – Hanoi

The construction of a road around the nearly completed National Assembly House has severely affected zones C and D of the Central Sector of Thang Long Imperial Citadel – Hanoi which lie in the vicinity. On 18/7/2014, Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences, Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Association, Vietnamese Archaeologists Association submitted to the Prime Minister and relevant authorities an urgent petition on the protection of Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic.

As reported by the Project Management Board of National Assembly House and Ba Dinh Conference Hall (new), in order to complete the construction of National Assembly House (new) it is in need to have a firefighting road (internal road) adjacent to the Heritage site. Accordingly, this road surpassed the landmark 3m in the East of the site, unequal in the North, about less or more 1,5m, about 450m2 surpassed the heritage site. The Council of Science Consultancy under Hanoi People’s Committee and scientists have strongly apposed to this issue which is in breach of UNESCO’s Law on Cultural Heritage and World Heritage Convention.

However, as required to promptly complete the construction of National Assembly House, the Council of Science Consultants have proposed a solution that is to build a buffer way between National Assembly House and the Heritage site, covered with grass provided that the structure did not go more than one meter deep to avoid hurting the heritage. Simultaneously, the construction of Zones C and D must strictly comply with Law on Heritage under the supervision of the heritage management agency – Center for Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Preservation with a view to protect the heritage site in the highest safe condition.

In order to ensure the construction progress of the new National Assembly House, strictly realize the guideline made by Hanoi People’s Committee, as notified of the conclusion by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, Center for Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Preservation has also handed over all site of Zones C and D ( (archaeological heritage site at 18 Hoang Dieu) to the Project Management Board of National Assembly House and Ba Dinh Conference Hall (new).

Currently, during the construction the stringent regulations of Law on Cultural Heritage had been ignored, leading to serious damage to the relics.

A majority of the firefighting road has been built with a concrete wall too close to the excavation pits. Some sections are three to four meters high, surpassing the allowed level.

The whole zone C- D is similar to a construction site with containers, construction material, rubbish, motorbikes, workers’ shelter and especially public mobile toilets filled the area.

Excavation pits are damaged and inundated with rainwater, erosion, archaeological vestiges are seriously damaged. Many archaeological pits are full of rubbish, construction material, damaging the open archaeological relics.

The workers have freedom to enter into the site without the supervision of the heritage management which caused unavoidable damage or loss of archaeological relics.

The construction without the supervision of the preservation agency has resulted in aforesaid violation.

With such situation, the scientists have made an proposal to the Project management board must work under the supervision of the heritage management agency, workers shelters, public toilets must be removed immediately and the mesh must be cleared, the site must be tidied up and returned to the heritage site; At the same time the plan of preservation must be proposed in urgent manner including something must be done to save the inundated excavation pits, study to fill the pits with sand for preserving the relics underground.