Understanding French-Indochinese architecture from a heritage perspective

On July 22, the seminar "French - Indochina Architecture: From a Heritage Perspective" was organized by the French Institute of Vietnam at the National Archives Center I, Hanoi.

The seminar was organized by the French Institute in Vietnam in collaboration with Omega Plus, to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France, with the participation of researcher Tran Huu Phuc Tien, author of the book French-Indochinese Architecture, Precious Gems in Hanoi ; Dr. Architect Le Phuoc Anh, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; Master Bui Thi He, Department of Promoting the Value of Archival Documents, National Archives Center I.

Speaking at the seminar, Master Tran Thi Mai Huong, Director of National Archives Center I, said that the seminar aims to help readers better understand the heritage, cultural and historical values through stories about famous French-Indochinese architectural works in Hanoi such as Long Bien Bridge, Hanoi Post Office, Hanoi Opera House... thereby introducing more about the volume of historical documents that the Center is storing.

Tìm hiểu kiến trúc Pháp-Đông Dương từ góc nhìn di sản

Experts share at the seminar. (Source: Baodantoc)

At the Seminar, historical researchers and cultural experts discussed and shared about the importance, role and significance of French-Indochinese architectural heritages to the history of Hanoi and in today's life.

These works are precious heritages that have witnessed a turbulent period, creating the cultural characteristics of the capital Hanoi.

In today's fast-paced life, when many stories about preserving cultural values become hot spots, the beauty of French architecture in Hanoi is like a cultural heritage of the capital, carrying the soul and character of Hanoi.

Those beauties make Hanoi both ancient and modern, and for Hanoians, those things are part of the unique poetry and romance in life.

By participating in the Discussion, readers will also be able to listen to stories and explore French architecture in the context of Indochina at that time, with many layers, colonial history, history of diplomatic relations... other layers of the indigenous people and since the French set foot in Indochina until now.

Also within the framework of the Seminar, the speakers focused on 37 out of 60 selected works to be introduced in the book "French-Indochinese Architecture, Precious Gems in Hanoi".

The book, compiled by National Archives Center I and edited by Journalist Tran Huu Phuc Tien, is considered an "art album" about French architectural imprints in Hanoi, providing interesting and new perspectives.

The outstanding feature of the work compared to previous publications on Hanoi architecture is that in addition to the design drawings, there are also carefully collected and selected documentary photos, accompanied by explanations in 3 languages: Vietnamese-French-English.

In particular, the book also features works that even many people who claim to know a lot about Hanoi have only recently come across for the first time. For example: House No. 6 Hoang Dieu or Villa No. 18 Tong Dan, both of which have just turned 100 years old.

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