Cultural monuments in danger: Vietnamese communities demand participation!

Cultural monuments in danger: Vietnamese communities demand participation!

At an international conference in Hanoi, the deputy minister of culture, sport and tourism Vietnam, Hoang Dao Cuong, emphasized the challenges associated with the preservation of the cultural heritage. He warned that tourism leads to overload and erosion of the cultural heritage in many places. At the same time, it is criticized that locals who live in these valuable cultural sites are often excluded from decision -making processes and do not sufficiently benefit from the economic advantages of tourism.

The conference emphasized the central role of the community in protecting and promoting cultural heritage. Hoang Dao Cuong also pointed out various risks that endanger the cultural heritage, such as climate change, urbanization and mass tourism. Vietnam has eight UNESCO World Heritals, which are interpreted as strategic assets, with the potential to contribute to the sustainable development of the country. In its 1972 convention, the UNESCO itself emphasizes the importance of the community for the preservation of the cultural heritage.

The role of the community

Jonathan Baker, the head of the UNESCO office in Hanoi, underlined the need to strengthen and empower local communities. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the World Heritage Center, Echoed this view and emphasized that the communities play a key role in maintaining the world heritage. From Hoi to Pham Phu NGOC, the director of the Center for the Management and Conservation of the Cultural Heritage, reported the importance of the “living museum”, which is established in Hoi, and found that the city has 1,130 architectural and artistic relics, 82.3 % of which are privately owned.

The example of the landscape complex Tranges in Ninh Binh was highlighted as a positive model for public-private partnership (PPP). The number of visitors in Trang increased from 2.2 million in 2014 to over 5.6 million in 2023, which led to income from tourism of over 6,500 billion and per year in 2024. This model is based on the cooperation between the state, company and the community, and UNESCO supports the strengthening of the communities and their sustainable development in and around the world heritage sites.

monument preservation in Hesse

in Germany, especially in Hesse, the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments is the responsible authority for cultural monuments. On its website, this institution provides information about the Monument list . For owners who are looking for information on listed objects, it is recommended to contact the office directly. In the absence of information in the Denkxweb, relevant inquiries can be made by email. It is advisable to name the object in concrete terms and, if necessary, add photos or location plans.

The contact details for specific cities and counties are clearly structured, with different email addresses for different regions. Interested parties should state the address of the object in the subject. The processing time for such inquiries can take up to three months.