Imperial archives’ values further preserved and promoted

PANO – The Prime Minister has recently approved a project titled “Preservation and promotion of the values of the imperial archives of the Nguyen dynasty - UNESCO Memory of the World Documentary Heritage of the Asia Pacific region.”

The imperial archives of the Nguyen dynasty. Source: vovworld.vn

The project is broken into two phases. In the first phase (2016-2020), more focus will be laid on the preservation of the archives, including restoring worn-out documents; insuring documents by films; buying additional equipment for document preservation; compiling and printing documents; and completing the profiles of the imperial archives in the Vietnamese and English languages.

The second phase (2021-2025) will focus on completing the archives’ database; upgrading software for the management and the use of the archives; upgrading the website to introduce the imperial archives in Chinese and French; displaying the archives in exhibitions; and seeking international cooperation to promote the values of the archives to the world.

Dating back from 143 years (1802-1945), the Nguyen dynasty left numerous invaluable tangible and intangible heritage items to Vietnam and the world. A number of the items including the ancient imperial citadel complex, Hue royal court music… have been recognized as world heritages. Most recently, the Imperial Archives of the Nguyen dynasty have been enlisted in the UNESCO Memory of the World Program in the Asia Pacific region.