Hue, the First World Cultural Heritage Site in Vietnam

At the meeting of the 17th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Columbia, from the 6th to the 11th of December 1993, UNESCO has come to the decision of recognizing the architectur¬al ensemble of Hue as a world cultural heritage. On 2 August 1994, the delivery of the recognizing text has been organized at the Imperial Palace of Hue, with the participation of many international, national and local personalities, as well as repre¬sentatives of the population of Hue. Great enthusiasm has been generated in the country through the broadcast of this news. This was a noteworthy event in the cultural history. For the reason that Hue is the first site in Vietnam ever listed in the World Heritage list.

As to the cul¬tural value, a World Cultural Heritage Site, like the city of Hue, has to:
- Be representative of an original artistic achievement, a masterpiece created by Man's hands;
- Have a great value for its building technique or its architecture in a general development plan for a city or in a program for the embellishment of the sight of a world cultural zone;
- Be representative of an architectural ensemble of an important historical period; be closely related to important events, to ideas or beliefs having a great influence or to famous historical personalities.

Besides, for a cultural property to be inter¬nationally recognized, it has to be fully confirmed on a juridical level, and it must possess a managing organization ensuring its good conservation. The architectural ensemble of Hue meets these requirements; it is embedded with highly humanistic values, and may be compared with the other cultural properties, rare and precious, in this World.

In the closing report of the above-men¬tioned meeting, the WHC has briefly assessed the value of Hue as follows. "The architecture of Hue, which has been the Capital of a unified Vietnam, built at about the beginning of the 19th century, combines the oriental philosophy with the traditions of Vietnam. Intimately mingled with the natural environment, the beauty and special richness of the architecture and decorative art of the building are an original image of the Vietnamese monarchy at its most prosperous period".

The fact that the imperial city of Hue is now listed as a World Heritage Site may represent a new chance for Thua Thien Hue Province and for the whole country in general. The wonders of Hue can hardly be described to do them justice, and the best way to discover them is still to come in person and admire the beautiful constructions.