Cultural monuments in danger: Vietnamese communities demand participation!

Cultural monuments in danger: Vietnamese communities demand participation!

At an international conference in Hanoi, Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong highlighted the challenges associated with preserving cultural heritage. He warned that in many places tourism is leading to overuse and erosion of cultural heritage. At the same time, there is criticism that locals living in these valuable heritage sites are often excluded from decision-making processes and do not sufficiently benefit from the economic benefits of tourism.

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

The role of the community

Jonathan Baker, the head of UNESCO's office in Hanoi, underlined the need to strengthen and empower local communities. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Center, echoed this view, highlighting that communities play a key role in preserving world heritage. From Hoi An, Pham Phu Ngoc, director of the Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation, reported the importance of the "living museum" established in Hoi An, noting that the city has 1,130 architectural and artistic relics, 82.3% of which are privately owned.

The example of Trang An Scenic Complex in Ninh Binh was highlighted as a positive model for public-private partnership (PPP). The number of visitors to Trang An increased from 2.2 million in 2014 to over 5.6 million in 2023, resulting in tourism revenue of over VND 6,500 billion per year in 2024. This model is based on collaboration between the state, business and the community, and UNESCO supports the empowerment of communities and their sustainable development in and around World Heritage sites.

Monument preservation in Hesse

In Germany, especially in Hesse, the State Office for Monument Preservation is the responsible authority for cultural monuments. This institution provides information on its website List of monuments known. Owners seeking information on listed properties are advised to contact the office directly. If information is missing from DenkXweb, relevant inquiries can be made by email. It is advisable to name the property specifically and, if necessary, attach photos or maps.

The contact information for specific cities and counties is clearly structured, with different email addresses for different regions. Interested parties should include the address of the object in the subject line. The processing time for such requests can take up to three months.