Promoting heritage values in the heart of the city

Delegates and visitors visit the exhibition space "Phu Xuan - Gia Dinh, historical imprints" at the City Museum.

Thu Duc city currently has 23 recognized and ranked relics, including seven national-level relics. Ms. Pham Thi Le Hang, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thu Duc city, said that the restoration of relics has received special attention and is regularly carried out by the leaders of Thu Duc city. Thu Duc city focuses on surveying and evaluating the current status and has a plan to establish an investment project to restore and renovate 14 works, including 10 relics, two works in the inventory of relics and two cultural-historical works.

However, in the face of the current state of some degraded relics, Thu Duc City has mobilized benefactors to sponsor and carry out procedures and documents to restore An Khanh Communal House and urgently repair the relics of Xuan Hiep Communal House, Linh Dong Communal House, Phong Phu Communal House (including three categories: Vo Ca, Traditional House and Secret Tunnel), Phuoc Tuong Pagoda, Go Queo Ancient Tomb Park, and the tomb of District Councilor Dang Tan Xuan...

Meanwhile, the work of preserving and promoting intangible cultural heritage in District 1 has also achieved positive results. Activities to preserve intangible cultural heritage have received due attention. The People's Committee of District 1 issued a Plan on implementing the Program for Preserving and Promoting the Sustainable Values of Cultural Heritage and the Program for Digitizing Vietnamese Cultural Heritage in District 1 until 2030; a Plan on implementing solutions to preserve and promote the values of intangible cultural heritage of Southern amateur music in District 1 until 2025; a Joint Plan on organizing and implementing the Project "Preserving and promoting traditional costumes of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in the current period" in District 1 until 2025.

Ms. Nguyen Thi My Le, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Information, District 1, said: The district has 10 amateur music clubs operating at the District Cultural Center and wards with more than 100 participants, regularly performing at historical sites such as: Tran Hung Dao Temple, Nam Chon Communal House, Nhon Hoa Communal House and in front of Ben Thanh Market,...

Recently, the City Department of Culture and Sports has directed the City Monuments Conservation Center to strengthen the inventory and make a list of historical and cultural works and sites. Up to now, the city has 193 ranked historical and cultural relics, including 2 special national relics, 58 national relics, and 133 city relics.

The city focuses on investing in and renovating relics, especially prioritizing historical relics during the 1968 Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising, the Liberation of the South, and the Unification of the Country in 1975, national architectural and artistic relics, archaeological relics, and village communal houses. If in the period of 2020-2022, the State only provided about 90 billion VND in investment capital for restoration, then in the period of 2023-2024, it increased to about 580 billion VND. Thus, the rate of investment in restoration from the state budget in 2023-2024 compared to 2020-2022 increased by more than 600%.

Nowadays, many relics have become interesting attractions for domestic and foreign tourists, partly thanks to the constant efforts of museums to renew themselves to attract tourists. Many relics such as the Headquarters of the People's Council - People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Le Van Duyet Mausoleum, Ben Thanh Market, etc. have become must-see destinations for tourists when coming to the city.

At the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week 2024 at the end of December, the Department of Tourism chose the Ben Thanh Market area as the launching point, as well as organizing many cultural and sports events. This is considered an activity to widely promote the unique and iconic destination right in the city center. According to Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Van Dung, Ben Thanh Market attracts a large number of people and tourists not only because of its unique architecture but also because of its vibrant trading culture and unique cuisine. The launching ceremony of the City Tourism Week 2024 as well as activities at the small island area in front of the Ben Thanh Market relic gate contributed to honoring this famous symbol.

The city is collaborating with Thu Duc city and districts to build vibrant destinations with unique characteristics of each region to form unique tourism products, promoting the cultural, historical and geographical advantages of each district. Along with that, the city also focuses on applying technology to museum activities, at historical sites to create liveliness and attract tourists.