• Hanoi's cultural heritage and relics have welcomed nearly 1.7 million visitors in the first half of 2023, up 23% on year, according to the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports.
• In particular, Ngoc Son Temple and the revolutionary relics (5D Ham Long, 48 Hang Ngang, 90 Tho Nhuom, Uncle Ho's Memorial House) attracted 630,000 visitors.

The Hoa Lo Prison Relic received nearly 295,000 guests thanks to its unique cultural activities, including the "Sacred Night - Shining Vietnamese Spirit" program held over the past three months.

A new tour of the Hoa Lo Prison Relic under the title "Holy Night - Brilliant Vietnamese Spirit" attracts a large number of visitors. Photo: Minh Anh

From January to June, about 773,000 people visited the Temple of Literature, where the performance of the Kyogen comedy "Bon San" and the exhibition of traditional Japanese masks Nohgaku at the Temple of Literature was held. The relic is expected to start a night tour program soon.

During this period, about 61,000 visitors have come to the Hanoi Museum, which continues to maintain thematic displays and exhibitions, receive objects donated by organizations or individuals, and apply 3D digitization to the newly recognized national treasure artifacts.

Do Dinh Hong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, said that from now until the end of the year, the heritage sites managed by the department will continue to hold exhibitions, shows and cultural and artistic activities to create attractive highlights. 

Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the massive architectural work built by Vietnamese kings in many historical periods, is the most important relic in Hanoi. Photo: Lai Tan/The Hanoi Times

Long-term policies

Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, said historical sites and cultural relics are a great resource for Hanoi's tourism.

"Hanoi currently has more than 5,900 relics, including one World Heritage Site (Thang Long Imperial Citadel), 21 clusters of special national monuments, 1,160 national relics, and more than 1,400 city-level relics, making it one of the leading places in Vietnam in terms of the number of relics," Minh said.

He stressed that Hanoi needs to focus on many scientific and comprehensive solutions to improve cultural heritage management, which should be an action plan jointly operated by various agencies; measures to protect relics and the environment, raising people's awareness of cultural heritage protection, training guides on cultural heritage, completing the transportation network to the relics, and making plans to ensure harmony between conservation and development.

Minh stressed that relics and cultural tourism is one of 13 cultural industries identified in Hanoi's Culture Strategy for 2025, with a vision to 2030. "With culture at the core, Hanoi will effectively develop tourism based on its inherent potential and focus on promoting and creating unique cultural tourism products," the official said.

Meanwhile, Vu Thi Phuong Hau, Director of the Institute of Culture and Development, suggested that applying technology can help minimize negative external impacts on cultural heritage. "The application of information technology is also a way to connect visitors with heritage sites," Hau said.