An exhibition telling the stories of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, opened on May 17 at the Summer Palace in Beijing, China.

Ha Minh Hai, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, speaks at the opening ceremony in Beijing on May 17. Photos: Hanoi People's Committee

The exhibition features nearly 100 reading and visual materials, divided into two thematic areas: the first presents the cultural values in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, with a history of more than a thousand years, as the convergence of all Vietnamese customs, and describes the city as a city of heritage.

Readings and visual materials will guide visitors through a number of Hanoi's landmarks, such as the four guardian god temples of Thang Long (ancient name of Hanoi) including Bach Ma Temple, which worships the god Long Do (the Guardian of the East), Voi Phuc Temple, which venerates the god Linh Lang (the Guardian of the West), Kim Lien Temple, which is dedicated to Cao Son Dai Vuong (the Guardian of the South), and Tran Vu Temple worshiping Huyen Thien Tran Vu (the Guardian of the North), and the Co Loa Imperial Citadel, the oldest fortress and also the capital of ancient Vietnam built in the 3rd century BC.

The second area focuses on Thang Long Imperial Citadel - Hanoi, a World Heritage Site with the message: In the overall heritage picture of the capital Hanoi, the World Heritage Site of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Center – Hanoi is the most prominent, becoming a great pride of the people of the capital and the whole country.

It features photos and artifacts from the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Chosen as the capital of Vietnam in the early 11th century, Thang Long-Hanoi has seen more than a thousand years of ups and downs, playing a key role in the country’s political, socioeconomic, and cultural development.

The exhibition is accompanied by a forum entitled “Beijing-Hanoi cooperation to further promote heritage values”, which provides an opportunity for scholars and government officials to discuss ways to protect, preserve, and bolster cultural values in both localities.

Officials of Hanoi and Beijing at the opening ceremony.

At the forum, participants will brief government policies on heritage conservation in Hanoi and Beijing, share their practices and experiences in the conservation and restoration of ruined palaces in both cities, and seek joint scientific solutions to further protect and preserve the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

Both the exhibition and the forum are organized by the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center in partnership with the Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks and the Administration Office of the Summer Palace.

The two events are “great occasions to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Hanoi-Bejiing relations,” said Ha Minh Hai, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee as he delivered the opening remarks on May 17.

“Hopefully, we can introduce a wide range of Hanoi heritage elements, both tangible and intangible, and historical and cultural values to the people of Beijing and other countries," he said.

Hai also hoped that a similar exhibition, to be held in Hanoi in September this year, would give Hanoi people and visitors a chance to get to know the precious heritage of Beijing.

The Hanoi official highly anticipated that such events would help bolster the friendship, cooperation, and partnership between the two capitals, thus pushing the Vietnam-China comprehensive relations forward.

Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, and Beijing officials tour the exhibition.

According to the Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks, the exhibition and the scientific forum are the outcomes of the memorandum of understanding signed between the center and the Thang Long Heritage Conservation Center. The MoU aims to introduce and promote heritage values between the two cities and improve the quality and competence of heritage preservation on both sides.

As part of the trip to Beijing, Hanoi delegates met with the Dongcheng District government on the same day where both sides pledged to continue working together and learning from each other's experiences in developing the cultural industry.