Upholding responsibility of local leaders in preservation and management of heritage sites

ABO/NDO- On May 20, the People’s Committee of Ha Noi issued Official Dispatch No. 2065/UBND-KGVX on enhancing the management of monuments and the conservation, restoration and renovation of historical and cultural relics and scenic landscapes across the city.

Accordingly, the municipal People’s Committee requested the People’s Committees of districts, towns and communes to work closely with the Department of Culture and Sports to strictly implement the Law on Cultural Heritage and other relevant legal provisions when carrying out projects on the conservation, restoration and renovation of historical and cultural relics and scenic landscapes.

The city also emphasised the need to strengthen legal dissemination, raise awareness and promote compliance with laws on cultural heritage; widely communicate the significance and value of heritage sites, the necessity of their preservation, restoration and renovation, and publicly announce the contents of relevant projects prior to implementation to keep local communities informed and engaged.

Students visit and learn at the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam.

The city stressed that local government leaders must be responsible for the management, conservation, restoration and renovation of monuments, as well as the protection and promotion of cultural heritage and monument values, including both ranked monuments and those listed in the local inventory.

The municipal People’s Committee tasked the Department of Culture and Sports with enhancing training and dissemination of the Law on Cultural Heritage and other relevant legal documents.

In addition, the Department is expected to guide investors in complying with proper procedures and processes for monument restoration projects, based on content that has been appraised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department of Cultural Heritage, and the Department of Culture and Sports in accordance with regulations.

It is also to instruct and coordinate with local press and media outlets to develop broad dissemination plans for the Law on Cultural Heritage and its implementing documents.

Following a recent review and inventory, Ha Noi now has 6,489 recognised heritage sites of various types, reaffirming its position as the locality with the largest number of heritage sites in the country.

(Source: NDO)