Vietnam’s successful cultural diplomacy in 2010 was reflected in activities
dedicated to ASEAN and the 1,000th founding anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi,
and the effort to win UNESCO recognition of the country’s cultural heritages.

This comment was made by Pham Sanh Chau, Head of the Foreign
Ministry’s Department for External Cultural Affairs and UNESCO, at a meeting
with the press in Hanoi
Monday.

Playing the role of Chair of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam
has undertaken to organise a host of activities highlighting the group. These
have not only enhanced mutual understanding among ASEAN member countries but
also promoted Vietnam
’s image to the world, Chau said.

Noteworthy were the walks for the ASEAN Community of Peace
and Prosperity, the publication of a collection of stamps featuring ASEAN,
ASEAN culinary week and artistic performances held at gala dinners at the end
of the 16 th and 17th ASEAN Summits.

Referring to cultural and artistic activities marking the
1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, Chau noted the UNESCO General
Director’s handover of a certificate recognising Thang Long-Hanoi Citadel as a
world cultural heritage on the first day of the ceremony, as a gesture to
promote images of culture-rich Hanoi
.

He said the organisation of Vietnamese days in a number of
countries –including Germany,
Russia and China ¬– to
mark diplomatic ties with these countries in the event year was significant to
the country’s cultural diplomacy.

Chau highlighted efforts made by diplomats to win UNESCO
recognition of the Thang Long-Hanoi Citadel as a tangible cultural heritage,
Giong festival as an intangible cultural heritage and 82 doctor laureate steles
in Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) as historical documentary heritage, making
Hanoi the first city in the world to have its three heritages honoured by
UNESCO in a year.

In the year, Vietnam
also won UNESCO recognition for Dong Van Stone Plateau in the northern province of Ha Giang as a member of
the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN).

The country now boasts a total of 13 world heritages,
including two natural heritages, four cultural, five intangible, and two
historical documentary heritages. It is also home to eight world bio reserves
and one global geopark.

According to Chau, in 2011, the cultural diplomacy work will
be further stepped up via the deployment of an action plan to implement the
Strategy for Vietnam
’s Cultural Diplomacy toward 2020, the acceleration of establishment of a fund
for cultural diplomacy and the organisation of Vietnamese days and weeks
overseas.

The Department for External Cultural Affairs and UNESCO will
work with relevant agencies to seek UNESCO recognition for the Hat Xoan singing
genre (Phu Tho province), Ho dynasty citadel (central Thanh Hoa province) and
woodblocks engraved with Buddhist sutras of Vinh Nghiem pagoda in northern Bac
Giang province.

Source: VNA