Hoan Kiem District this week inaugurated a cultural and historical space at 47 Hang Quat Street to promote the value of the Vietnamese Latin alphabet and the first chairman of the National Assembly, Nguyen Van To (1889-1947).

Delegates tour the space.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Trinh Ngoc Tram, Head of the Hoan Kiem Division of Education and Training, said that the space at 47 Hang Quat Street will serve as a significant cultural and historical site, educating students and helping them appreciate the national language.

She said that for over 100 years, the historic villa at this address has witnessed the transformation of the capital through various historical phases, including meetings that prepared the establishment of the Provisional Government and the declaration of Vietnam's independence on September 2, 1945.

This place is also significant for the Vietnamese Latin Alphabet Propagating Association, founded on May 25, 1938, which aimed to spread the Vietnamese Latin alphabet throughout the country. It was also a center for the international Esperanto language movement in the early 20th century.

Pham Tuan Long, Chairman of Hoan Kiem District, said that the district has allocated a budget for the renovation of the Nguyen Van To Vocational Training Center at 47 Hang Quat Street, considering it to be a representative architectural project.

The district prioritizes enhancing the cultural value of its historic architecture during rehabilitation.

"We have developed plans for the restoration and conservation of several architecturally significant French structures," he said. "The goal is to preserve the heritage that is part of the capital's historical development, improve the city's infrastructure, ensure the safety of its users and provide better living conditions for the community, thereby contributing to economic and tourism development," Long said.

After the inauguration, officials, teachers and students attended a seminar on the history of the Vietnamese Latin alphabet, gaining insight into the activities of the Latin Alphabet Propagating Association and the significant contributions of Nguyen Van To, a prominent intellectual who advocated the use of Latin letters to replace the then thousand-year-old Sinographic letters in the early 20th century.