Vietnam's World Heritage Sites, The Three H's
Ha Long Bay, Hué, Hoi An Form Three-Fifths Of Their UNESCO Locales
May 20, 2009
Vietnam doesn't have a plethora of world heritage sites, only five. By comparison, Canada has fifteen and Germany has thirty-three. But the three coastal sites, one natural and two cultural, are so integrated to Vietnam's checkered past that their mere existence is a symbol of continuity and hope for the future.
Ha Long Bay, Defender and Protector of Vietnam
Situated approximately 200 kilometres northeast of Hanoi on the South China Sea, Vietnam thinks of Ha Long Bay as the eighth wonder of the world. It became a dedicated site in 1994 and comprises 1,600 limestone islands in the Gulf of Tonkin. Sandy beaches and precipitous pillars jut out of the calm waters but they signify more than beauty; they represent founding myths for Vietnam:
- the dragon features both as defender and protector. A mother dragon and her island children kept Vietnam from northern invaders
- a dragon king and goddess wed and had 100 island children who were the Vietnamese ancestors
In a 1999 UN report, Vietnam pledged to cooperate with Australia to manage coastal and marine protection of the area.
Hué, Ancient Capital Risen From the Ashes of the Tet Offensive
During the Vietnam Tet Offensive of 1968, the Hué Citadel, home of the last Vietnamese Emperor was at the center of a fierce battle. From January to February the North and the South, with American allies fought in the city and citadel. Americans bombed extensively because Communists booby trapped and used snipers from the buildings (the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket depicts this event). The Communists also executed over 2,500 so-called collaborators in a massacre here.
Lille, France and the World Heritage Centre have been instrumental in giving technical aid to the restoration of the Citadel complex, especially after 14 of the 16 buildings were damaged in the worst flooding of the Perfume River in 1999.
Dedicated by UNESCO in 1993, Hué was the Imperial capital city from 1802-1945, when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated. Today taxi drivers point out shell holes in the citadel walls, tanks are on fenced display and within the moats, one can gaze on the emperor's library and mandarin silk clothing as once again Hué's concentric Imperial citadels attract numerous visitors.
Hoi An, Integrating Cultures and An Economic Symbol
Dedicated in 1999, ancient Hoi An is an example of Vietnam's trading past and economic recovery. Described as a living old town, the city has over 1,100 relics of architectural styles covering its history as a trading entrepôt from the 16th to the 19th century. Since 2000, the project has restored eleven buildings, improved sidewalks, water supply and drainage, established the re-use of buildings for business and tourism, and sought to have more equitable income distribution from tourist activities.
At one time Hoi An competed with Singapore and Melaka for the spice trade and also bustled with Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and Indian traders and settlers, until the French preferred nearby Danang as a trading base. Today several economic recovery projects have accompanied the international recognition. For instance:
- Canada and Holland support cake and refreshment training for poor children to participate in the tourist trade
- the municipal government has trained children of low living standards in sedge weaving and embroidery from UNESCO funds
- over 10,000 students participated in art and heritage appreciation two-year programs
- tourist dollars raised to visit heritage sites and reinvest almost doubled from 1996 to 2001 from $USD 250,000 to almost $USD 500,000
The three H world sites of Vietnam represent Hope – to preserve the environment and cultural heritage, as well as promise and prosperity for the future.
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