Hoi An and Da Lat were recognized as "UNESCO creative cities" in the fields of crafts - folk arts and music.
On the occasion of World Cities Day on October 31, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay signed a decision to recognize Da Lat and Hoi An, along with 53 other cities in the world, as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Hoi An is a creative city in the field of handicrafts and folk arts, while Da Lat is a creative city of music.
According to the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports, Vietnam currently has three creative cities recognized by UNESCO. In 2019, Hanoi was recognized as a creative city in the field of design.
Lantern making in Hoi An. Photo: Dac Thanh
UCCN was established in 2004 to promote cooperation between cities that share the goal of considering creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The network currently has 350 cities from over 100 countries, focusing on 7 creative fields: Design, Literature, Music, Crafts and Folk Arts, Gastronomy, Cinema and Media Arts.
The new Creative Cities recognized by UNESCO will implement the commitments stated in their application for membership, providing legal solutions to global issues such as climate change and rising inequality.
Da Lat and Hoi An are included in the Project to develop a system of Vietnamese creative cities under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network approved by the Prime Minister. According to the roadmap from now until 2030, every two years, a maximum of two Vietnamese cities will develop and submit applications to join the UCCN with the goal of having 4-6 cities recognized as UNESCO Creative Cities.
Responding to VnExpress , Hoi An City Chairman Nguyen Van Son said "it is an honor to join the network but there is a heavy responsibility".
According to Mr. Son, Hoi An has strengths in the field of handicrafts and folk arts. With this accession, Hoi An has the conditions to promote the development of traditional fields such as preserving and promoting the craft villages of carpentry, pottery, bamboo, and Cam Thanh water coconut, while promoting handicrafts such as lanterns.
"Through this network, Hoi An learns from the experiences of previous cities, especially advanced cities in the world, because the network has nearly 200 cities," said Mr. Son. Many places are pioneers in the field of building smart, creative, and digitally transformed cities.
In addition to the advantages, the Chairman of Hoi An said that joining also brings great responsibility, because there are very high criteria on environment and sustainable development. "These are both challenges and opportunities for the city to develop sustainably," he said.
Mr. Son said that when Hoi An was recognized, it did not focus on attracting a large number of tourists immediately. The city participated because the purpose was to focus on quality development, not quantity. When the city's reputation is enhanced and the quality is good, more tourists will come, and jobs for the people will be improved.
For Da Lat, becoming a UNESCO Creative City in the field of music is meaningful good news in the context of 2023, the city celebrates 130 years of formation and development. The city hopes that besides tourism, the potential of cultural industries, especially music, will play a core role in promoting international integration, sustainable urban development, connecting social and ethnic groups and improving the quality of life of the people.
“Cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are playing a pioneering role in promoting access to culture and harnessing the power of creativity in sustainable urban development,” said UNESCO Director-General Azoulay.
Phuong Anh - Dac Thanh
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