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Vietnam hopes to list World Heritage site

A terracotta dragon head is shown on Aug. 31. The figure is from Vietnam's 11th century Ly period and was found in the ruins of an ancient citadel in central Hanoi. Vietnam plans to preserve the ruins with help from Japan and UNESCO. PHOTO: AFP

Vietnam plans to restore the ruins of an ancient imperial city in central Hanoi dating back to the 7th century with help from Japan and the UN cultural organization, heritage officials say.

Work is expected to start next year to preserve the old citadel ahead of the capital's 1,000th birthday in 2010 and would strengthen Hanoi's chances of having its historic cultural heart declared a World Heritage site in future.

The remains of the ancient citadel and relics from five feudal dynasties were first discovered in 2002 during excavation work to build a new national assembly in the center of the capital, putting construction on hold.

Archeologists discovered millions of priceless artifacts from the city once known as Thang Long (Ascending Dragon), including terracotta figures of dragons and phoenix heads, ceramics, canons, swords and coins.

The find started a dispute between heritage and development forces over what to do with the ruins located in what has been Vietnam's center of political power for most of its history, from ancient times until today.

The 20,000m2 dig shares a city block with the existing Ba Dinh national assembly and is located near the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's revolutionary leader and first president.

At one stage, Vietnam's government considered moving the legislature to the outskirts of Hanoi, but it has now decided to build the new assembly on the site of the existing Ba Dinh Hall, adjacent to the ancient city ruins.

Authorities have put on display 17 design models for the new assembly. The exact size of the new building remains unclear, but officials say the development will allow for the adjacent ruins to be saved.

"The government has decided to preserve the area, not to build a national assembly building here," said Bui Minh Tri, secretary of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel site project and deputy director of Vietnam's Institute of Archeology. "We will build a museum or a historical park."

Workers are now excavating palace structures and artifacts in the area, which is shielded by a large plastic roof and closed to the general public, but work is set to be stepped up under the new project.

Japan has offered to provide financial and technical aid to protect and restore the citadel via a Japan-UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) fund, the state-run An Ninh Thu Do newspaper reported.

"Our goal is to preserve this historical site for the long term, not only for the celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi," said Tran Quang Dung, deputy chief for the National Steering Committee for 1,000 Years of Thang Long-Hanoi, according to the report.

Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam in 1010 under the Ly dynasty. The name Thang Long, or Ascending Dragon, symbolized the desire for independence after a thousand years of Chinese domination, historians say.

The dig has unearthed ancient palace foundations and the remains of the central forbidden city, with ruins dating back 1,300 years to the Chinese Tang dynasty.
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