Honoring 2 projects to preserve Vietnamese cultural heritage

The project to preserve 5 ancient houses in Duong Lam (Son Tay, Hanoi) and restore the bunker at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel (Hanoi) has been awarded the Asia-Pacific Regional Council for Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).“Cultural Heritage Conservation Award 2013.”

Specifically, the project to preserve 5 ancient houses in Duong Lam won the “Excellent Award” and the project to restore the bunker at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel (Hanoi) won the “Honorable Mention.”

Wooden door opens the entrance to the underground shelter inside the Metropole Hotel
(Photo: Hoang Ha)

The above information was announced by UNESCO on the afternoon of September 4.

Commenting on the ancient house conservation project in Duong Lam, UNESCO said: The project's achievement is the successful restoration of 5 selected houses in Duong Lam ancient village to introduce the value of indigenous wooden architecture in Vietnam. This is especially meaningful in the context of ancient Vietnamese wooden architecture being increasingly threatened by degradation, abandonment and even permanent loss of value.

According to UNESCO experts, Duong Lam ancient village has become a remarkable model for conservation efforts in other rural areas in Vietnam in the future.

Regarding the restoration of the bunker at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel (Hanoi), the UNESCO representative commented: “The project has revealed another layer of the hotel’s rich history, proving that this is one of Hanoi’s most remarkable heritage buildings.”

According to the UNESCO assessment report, the bunker was forgotten for decades until it was discovered in 2011. Since then, the bunker has been preserved almost as it was originally with flexible andgrand opening, for public access and safe viewing...

The 40m2 bunker is preserved in its original state as a tribute to the great contributions of the hotel staff during the difficult resistance period, helping to ensure the safety of important guests during the war from the mid-1960s to the winter of 1972.

Awarding Council“Cultural Heritage Conservation Award 2013”Eleven projects were selected for awards from a total of 47 nominations from 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. These awards are divided into three categories: Special Award, Excellence Award and Honorable Mention.

“This year’s nominations cover the widest geographical range ever, with entries from the Cook Islands in the Eastern Pacific to the Islamic Republic of Iran in the far reaches of Western Asia. As such, the winning projects are exceptional and of exceptional merit,” said Tim Curtis, chairman of the jury.

According to (vietnamplus.vn) - HL