[Article] Preservation plan sought.

May, 28 2010 | Viet Nam News

HA NOI — Ha Noi is now struggling to harmonise the conservation of its heritage with new development projects.

Thang Long Citadel in Ba Dinh District is one of historical places that need preservation. Historians say an archaeological map should be incorporated into the development master plan for Ha Noi to ensure ancient sites are preserved. — VNA/VNS File Photo

Construction of the contentious new road linking Van Cao Street and West Lake has been halted following the unearthing of 1,000-old Ly-Tran and Le dynasty artefacts on Hoang Hoa Tham Street.

Archaeologists said the new road, which engineers were aiming to complete in time for celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi, ploughed though parts of the old citadel wall which contained priceless artefacts dating back to the dynasties of Nguyen (1802-1945), Le (1428-1788), Tran (1225-1400) and Ly (1010-1225).

"The historical value of the Thang Long citadel is as important as that of the Co Loa citadel built by King An Duong Vuong (about 275BC), which is located in Dong Anh District, some 20km to the north of Ha Noi's centre," said professor Trinh Sinh from the Archaeological Institute.

Professor Vu Van Quan, from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said construction workers had destroyed a huge part of the old citadel wall.

Road building was halted for three days due to complaints by local residents, but construction work is now continuing.

"It would take archaeologists several months to excavate the site. But the road construction project needs to be completed soon to meet the needs of society," said Nguyen Lan Cuong, deputy general secretary of the Viet Nam Archaeology Association.

The Cultural Heritage Law, first introduced in 2001, was amended and took effect on January 1 this year. It stipulates that construction work must be halted if artefacts of national importance are unearthed and that finds must be reported to the local department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. [... read the full article ...] — VNS

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[Communication en ligne] Les études vietnamiennes au Japon, F.Roustan.

Communication

Les études vietnamiennes au Japon
< Overview of Vietnamese studies in Japan >
Frédéric ROUSTAN

Doctorat en histoire, Université Osaka Gaidai, Japon

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2ème Congrès du Réseau Asie / 2nd Congress of Réseau Asie-Asia Network
28-29-30 sept. 2005, Paris, France

Centre de Conférences Internationales, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Fondation Maison
des Sciences de l’Homme.

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Thématique / Theme : Idéologies, politiques et religions / Ideologies, Politics and Religions
Atelier 16 / Workshop 16 : Idéologies et constructions nationales / Ideologies and national construction

Lire le document sur Réseau Asie.com

[Article] Int’l team studying Southeast Asia’s longest rampart in VN.

Saturday, Apr 17, 2010 | SGGP English edition | By Ha Minh – Translated by Kim Khanh
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A scientific seminar on restoring and preserving a centuries-old rampart in the central region was held by Hanoi’s Ecole Française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO – the French Academy of the Far East) in the central province of Quang Ngai on April 16 with attendance of many local and foreign scientists.

Photo: A team of international scientists study the longest rampart in Southeast Asia, located in Vietnam’s Quang Ngai Province.

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The fortified wall is considered the longest and largest scale rampart in the country and also the entire Southeast Asian region.
The 200-km rampart is believed to have been built before the 17th century by people and troops under the leadership of Le Van Duyet, a military dignitary of the Nguyen Dynasty.
And while it has been left to degrade for hundreds of years, the rampart - made skillfully with soil and stone - is still in relatively good condition, according to experts.
The western wall of the rampart runs along the Truong Son mountain range through the Quang Ngai districts of Tra Bong, Son Tinh, Son Ha, Tu Nghia, Minh Long, Nghia Hanh, Ba To, Duc Pho, and Binh Dinh.
It then runs into the districts of An Lao and Hoai Nhon in the neighboring province of Binh Dinh, separating the plain and highland.
On high slopes and challenging mountainous areas that are difficult to access, the wall was mainly made of stone to avoid landslides and hold up in unpredictable weather. To this day, these areas have remained almost completely undamaged, said Andrew Hardy of the EFEO.
The rampart’s largest sections measure 4 meters in height and 2.5 meters in width. It also crosses several streams and rivers and includes 115 military posts for 15-20 sentries each.
People in Duc Pho District call the wall Duong cai quan thuong (interprovincial highway) because of its role in protecting the important National Road 1A, which links Vietnam’s north and south.
According to Professor Phan Huy Le, chairman of the Viet Nam Association of History Science, the rampart was formerly used as a multi-function road serving military, economy, business and traffic purposes in the country.
The most urgent task now is restoring and preserving the wall, as well as studying its historical and cultural value, Prof. Le stressed.
Ph.D. Nguyen Dang Vu, a folk culture expert and director of the Quang Ngai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the department is now drafting a proposal to submit to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to have the rampart recognized as a provincial and national relic.
Professor Christopher Young, head of the Heritage Council’s Consulting Board of the UK, said the rampart is indeed highly valuable and has been preserved well so far.
Local authorities should focus on raising people’s awareness about the importance of protecting this piece of heritage and build safety corridors with a width of 550 meters each on either side of the rampart, Prof. Young added.
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