The premises of the German Embassy in Hanoi are undergoing extensive renovations. To soothe the eyes of passersby who see ugly construction fences and scaffolding, ​​the embassy displays 21 colorful, large-size photographs featuring the beauty of Vietnam’s cultural heritages and creativity along its outer wall in Tran Phu street, Ba Dinh district.

Large-size photographs featuring the beauty of Vietnam’s cultural heritages. Photo: Germany Embassy

The pictures on display are selected by a jury from the photo competition titled “Showing we care, sharing our vision on culture diversity”, which was held from mid-August to early November 2020 by UNESCO Hanoi in partnership with the German Embassy and Vietnam Today Magazine.

The photo competition aimed to highlight the beauty of the cultural heritages and creativity in Vietnam. 250 participants from six countries submitted more than 2000 photos in the categories of: Landscapes of Heritage Sites and Monuments; Cultural Transmission from Generation to Generation; Arts and Creativity; and Harmony of People and Nature.

Applicants were encouraged to take into account core UN principles of cultural sensitivity and diversity, gender equality, human rights and environmental sustainability in taking and selecting photos for their submission.

Photo: Germany Embassy

The cooperation with UNESCO in the photo competition complemented the commitment of the Federal Republic of Germany to cultural preservation and the promotion of cultural creativity in Vietnam.

Within the framework of the cultural conservation programs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, the embassy has cooperated with Vietnamese partners to carry out a number of conservation and restoration projects at many historical sites of Viet Nam for many years.

Recently Phung Tien palace, part of the Hue Citadel World Heritage Site was restored with significant German support.