Ancient Hanoi city may get heritage tag-UNESCO
HANOI - A sixth century royal city in Hanoi unearthed by accident in 2002 could be added to the United Nations heritage list, paving the way for international assistance and financing to preserve the historical site.
More than 2 million artifacts including terracotta dragons, phoenix statues and ceramic urns have been uncovered in the 57,408 square yards site layered with antiquities from the Le, Ly, Tran and Nguyen dynasties.
Workers clearing land near revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum for a new parliament building stumbled on the city remains. Excavations began in December 2002 and continue.
"We will be looking at the possibility that the site will be nominated to the World Heritage list," Richard Engelhardt, regional adviser for culture at the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) told Reuters on Wednesday.
"I personally think it's a very good candidate," he added.
Engelhardt, based in Bangkok, was one of more than a dozen foreign experts gathered for the first time by Vietnam to propose options on preserving the Thang Long or "ascending dragon" imperial citadel, the country's biggest excavation on record.
A site that carries the coveted UNESCO seal of approval draws tourists and funding. Vietnam already has four UNESCO designated sites, including the 16th century central Vietnam trading town of Hoi An, but none in Hanoi.
The process of being added to UNESCO's list takes between 2 and 3 years, Engelhardt said.
The tightly guarded excavation site displays a number of large open pits, with some salvaged items stored in nearby sheds. The experts from Japan, Italy, France, South Korea and Spain were taken on a tour of the area on Tuesday.
"We may have sufficient archaeologists to excavate the site but we do not have enough money and experts on restoration and preservation, especially for outdoor sites," said Tran Quoc Vuong, who heads the National University of Hanoi's department for international cultural studies.
Vietnam's options would include preserving the site and building an open-air museum on location, or removing the artifacts for display elsewhere, several of the experts said.
Whatever it does, it is clear the communist country has made a unique discovery, they said.
"We dream about finding a site like this," said Christian Pedelahore De Loddis, a French specialist in Asian cities, as he surveyed the Ba Dinh archaeological site.
Reuters - August 11, 2004.
Vietnam's citadel vulnerable to weather
HANOI, Vietnam - Experts from Europe and Asia surveyed 1,400-year-old relics of an ancient citadel in Hanoi Tuesday and said they were concerned the priceless antiquities were at risk from exposure to the elements.
A pit covering more than one city block contains Vietnam's most important historical site, dating back to the seventh century. There archaeologists discovered layers of different citadels built on top of each other along with millions of artifacts, including bowls, vases, clay dragon heads and giant phoenix-like relics. Many were in near-perfect condition.
But archaeology and conservation experts worry that relics uncovered by recent excavations are now threatened by Vietnam's tropical weather.
Burlap tarps now cover large segments of the site, and Vietnam is planning to begin constructing a roof next month. But the experts said that was not sufficient.
To properly preserve the area, technicians would have to find a way to control air flow and humidity - no easy feat for such a large area, said Corrado Pedeli from the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in Italy.
"It's very difficult find a solution, but we have to find something," he said while surveying a room full of artifacts. "The problem is water and the climate. We are in the exact opposite conditions to realistically maintain a long-term (site)."
Japanese archaeologist Akira Yamanaka from Mie University said the Vietnamese government should quickly pass conservation laws and devote resources to preserving an area that symbolizes the country's culture and history.
"It is a very important site," he said. "If the Vietnamese government decided to invest more, many, many travelers would visit this site - especially Japanese."
Vietnamese researchers have so far excavated 4.7 acres and hope to receive government approval to uncover another 0.7 acres, said Bui Minh Tri from Vietnam's Institute of Archaeology. The government has allocated about $2 million for the excavation, which began more than a year and a half ago.
The ruins are in the heart of Hanoi across from Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum.
Archaeologists had long suspected the site existed. But wars and economic hardship kept them from exploring it until the government granted approval to clear the land and search for the ruins on a site where a new National Assembly Hall was slated to be built. A new site for the hall has since been selected.
By Margie Mason - The Associated Press - August 10, 2004.
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