Vietnam possesses unique and treasured maritime cultural heritage

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien has said that Vietnam’s sea and islands possess numerous, unique and treasured cultural heritages despite going through many historical changes.

Visitors enjoying a mock-up of a marine defence platform at an exhibition hosted by Vietnamese People’s Navy

Deputy Minister Bien made the statement at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week in Hanoi on November 21.

The organisation of the week, he said, is intended to advertise and honour the valuable treasure to Vietnamese people and international friends, thus calling for investment to boost socio-economic, cultural and tourism development in the country’s coastal localities.

The programme is also expected to educate youngsters and students about Vietnam’s heritage and raise individual responsibility in protecting and safeguarding the country’s sea and islands, he added.

The four-day programme is featuring a string of activities, including exhibitions, arts performances, and booths showcasing typical cultural features, tourist products, and the signature dishes of 13 cities and provinces by the sea.

Visitors can buy handicraft products made by the locals for souvenirs while listening to a traditional art form of the coastal locality and then taste delicious food from the sea, such as oyster soup, jellyfish salad, ‘cha ca’ (fish paste), and ‘banh da cua’ (crab noodle) and nem cua be (crab spring rolls) at very reasonable prices.

Exhibitions hosted by the Naval Museum, Museum of the Border Guard, and Vietnam’s Coast Guard will also be up for viewing.

The displays include photos, objects and mocks-up on the forces’ history, operation and achievements as well as the bond between the people and army.

“It is the first time we have showcased exhibits on Vietnam’s Coast Guard”, said Colonel Luu Tien Thang. The exhibits, sourced from the service’s traditional house, reflect the tradition and merits of the forces since it was established 16 years ago, particularly its contributions to safeguarding the country’s sea and islands, he said.

Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong, a student from the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, said that she was impressed by the exhibition’s ancient documents and old maps of Vietnam, drawn by both the Vietnamese and Westerners, which assert Vietnam’s undeniable sovereignty over its sea and islands.

She thought that the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week is a meaningful and useful event as it helped her increase knowledge of her motherland’s history and the national sovereignty.

The week is taking place at Vietnam Exhibition Centre for Culture and Arts, 2 Hoa Lu street, Hai Ba Trung district until November 24.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)