Millennial anniversary raises Hanoi’s prestige

The successful organization of the millennial anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi has contributed to raising the capital city’s position and prestige for the whole country’s people as well as among international friends.

The remarks were made at a meeting to review the millennial celebrations held in Hanoi on Nov. 9 by the municipal Party Committee, People’s Committee, People’s Council and Fatherland Front.

Addressing the meeting, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi said the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi was successfully organized.

The traditional values of the capital city over the past 1,000 years of development were honoured, with UNESCO’s resolution on celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and the recognition of 82 doctoral steles in the Temple of Literature as a world literary heritage, the People’s Committee said, adding that UNESCO Director General attended the opening ceremony of the millennium anniversary and handed over a certificate to recognise the Thang Long-Hanoi ancient citadel’s central area as a world cultural heritage site.

Hanoi has set up friendly and cooperative ties with more than 60 cities of about 50 nations and territories around the world. It was recognised as the city of peace.

The patriotism, national pride, the trust in the Party and regime in all walks of life were shown in the participation of over three million people in the Thang Long-Hanoi contest, 700 works of more than 100 press agencies in the millennial anniversary press prize as well as 400 cultural and art works on the celebrations.

During the 10-day festival, thousands of people nationwide and Overseas Vietnamese flocked to the city for celebrations, including Party and State leaders, representatives from ministries, departments, organisations and 62 provinces and cities, 1,000 Vietnamese heroic mothers and heroes, 31 delegations from 30 foreign cities and 22 international delegations, 91 ambassadors and chief representatives from diplomatic missions and international organisations in Hanoi.

More than 1,200 local and foreign reporters were in Hanoi to cover the anniversary.

Besides, hundreds of precious gifts were presented to the capital city, hundreds of projects were inaugurated, and a series of festivals, contests, cultural and art performances was also held in Hanoi and other provinces to celebrate the anniversary./.

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Hanoi’s millennium marked abroad

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Ta Minh Chau on Oct. 11 gave a reception to the delegation of the overseas Vietnamese community in Laos who had returned from the grand celebrations of Hanoi ’s millennium.

At the function held in Vientiane , President Hoang Dieu of the Vietnamese People Federation in Laos said that the federation has donated 50 million VND to help flood victims in central Vietnam .

Earlier, on Oct. 10, the Vietnamese embassy in Algeria held a celebration to mark the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in the capital city of Algiers .

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Do Trong Cuong reviewed the country’s historical ups and downs and called on the overseas Vietnamese community in Algeria to contribute to the construction of the capital city and the nation.

Former Algerian Ambassador to Vietnam Boucherif Nacer wished the Hanoians and Vietnamese people prosperity and more achievements.

Honorary President of the Algeria-Vietnam Friendship Association Abdelkrim Hassani expressed his admiration at the 1,000-year-old capital city and said he would visit the city soon.

At a music festival to mark Hanoi ’s 1,000 th birthday in China , Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho said that wherever they go, all Vietnamese people look toward the homeland.

He called on the Vietnamese people in China to take part in practical activities and contribute their intelligence and strengths to the country and the capital city’s prosperity.

The festival raised nearly 1,570 USD and 5,835 CHY for flood victims in Vietnamm.

For the same purpose, the Vietnamese embassy in Mexico held a celebration on Oct. 9 in which Ambassador Pham Van Que called on the Vietnamese people in the country to contribute to consolidating the nation’s image on the international arena and expanding the fine relationship with the resident country.

He took the occasion to appeal for donations for flood victims in the homeland’s central provinces./.

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Many foreigners attend Hanoi’s 1,000th birthday

Foreigners mingling with crowds of local people during Thang Long-Hanoi’s birthday celebrations, spoke of their feelings about the 1,000 year old capital city.

The head of UNESCO’s Office in Hanoi, Katherine Muller Marin, said she was happy that the first year of her term in Vietnam coincided with the grand celebrations for the city’s 1,000 th birthday.

Marin attended several activities during the busy festival, including ceremonies to launch the 10 days of celebration, the inauguration of the ceramic mosaic mural along the Red River dyke and the opening of the new Hanoi Museum.

When sharing Hanoians’ joy over the Red River ceramic mosaic being recognised as a Guinness World the Record, Marin called it proof of the public’s participation and pride.

She said she would love to stay in Vietnam to work for a long time and to learn Vietnamese. She added that she considers Vietnam her second home.

Finland’s Ambassador to Vietnam Pekka Hyvonen showed his perception of Vietnam through his photos of Vietnam’s countryside and its people that he took during his tours of the country.

He said that he enjoys riding his motorbike around Hanoi visiting beautiful places and hopes that the capital city will be preserved for future generations.

Foreign friends also contributed their ideas and initiatives to maintain the charm of ancient Hanoi during the modernisation process.

Sorotova Ludmila, the Deputy Mayor of Yaroslav in Russia, suggested raising people’s pride in the country, the capital city and its heritage, spreading information about it history and developing tourism and tourist products.

In her opinion, fine art and handicrafts shops, cafes and hotels need to be developed into spots that portray the city’s culture and the rest of the country to foreigners./.

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Hanoi’s sustainable development in limelight

Almost 600 domestic and foreign scientists gathered in Hanoi on Oct. 7 for a three-day international conference, “Sustainable Development of Hanoi Capital - Civilised and Heroic City for Peace”.

At the opening ceremony, Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Ngo Thi Thanh Hang said the conference was an importance chance to assess and honour the traditions and civilised values in the glorious history of the capital city and the whole nation.

We should outline orientations and strategies to build Hanoi into a modern, elegant and civilised city, she said.

For his part, Secretary of Hanoi’s Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi pointed out challenges to the capital city that need to be solved such as the fast increase in urban population, traffic jams and environmental pollution.

Meanwhile, planning and planning management have not been well controlled, leading to the degradation or disappearance of the capital’s architectural heritages and unequal development in urban and suburban areas, Nghi said.

There remained shortcomings in the capital city’s economic efficiency and competitiveness while its internal sources and advantages have not been fully tapped, he noted.

The capital’s economic development has failed to match its potential and socio-cultural development has not caught up with the capital’s economic development pace as well as its role and position, he added.

He said the capital city’s authorities considered the conference a chance to listen to scientists’ opinions on the city’s strengths and potential for development. He also hopes participants will put forth proposals on solutions to bring into play the values of Thang Long-Hanoi to build a sustainable development strategy for the city in the context of rapid global change.

At the conference, UNESCO Representative in Vietnam Katherine Muller-Marin cited a recent study that was conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and reported in its UK Economic Outlook publication as saying that Hanoi is projected to be one of the world’s top two cities in terms of average real GDP growth for 2008-2025.

In order that the city continue delivering accomplishments such as these, we need to be mindful of the challenges that rapid urbanisation poses, especially when it is about preserving cultural heritage, she said.

“If we wish for sustainable development in the next 10 years, 100 years, and even 1,000 years, we have to preserve the cultural values,” she said.

In his report on “Thang Long-Hanoi: Lasting and Sustainable Development” at the conference, Prof. Dr Vu Minh Giang mentioned four groups of issues that are discussed at the event. They include history and politics; cultural issues; socio-economic issues; and balancing natural resources and environmental conditions with urban management and construction.

A total of 157 reports will be presented at the conference.

Professor, Doctor William S. Logan of Deakin University , Melbourne , Australia , who has studied about Hanoi for 20 years, said Hanoi was one of a few cities in the world having a continuing history of being the capital city of a country for over 1,000 years, which makes it different from many other foreign cities.

Hanoi has to ensure that modern development doesn’t undermine the outstanding universal values if the city wants to maintain its distinctive character as one of the most beautiful and oldest cities in the world.

In his opinion, development and preserving heritages are not opposing issues. As the result, policy makers have to take planning issues into consideration and not destroy the city’s cultural values./.

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Outlook enjoys the party

As Ha Noi's millennium anniversary celebrations wind down, this month's issue of our news magazine Outlook joins in the capital city's big birthday party.

Outlook, which goes on sale in Ha Noi, HCM City and other major centres this morning, examines the history of Ha Noi and spotlights some of the local people who embody the city's culture and character.

We examine the treasure trove of artefacts unearthed at the site of the capital city's ancient Imperial Citadel and tell the story of King Ly Thai To, who decided to move his royal capital from Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh Province to Dai La, the site of present-day Ha Noi and renamed it Thang Long (Rising Dragon).

We talk to four outstanding Hanoians who have been recognised by the Government for their contributions to the local community, and meet a family who have lived in the city for several generations while preserving their traditional values. Special features on Ha Noi also include an article about the capital city's favourite mayor and a photo essay on the city's changing face during the past two centuries.

Elsewhere in this issue, we go on a tour of the Central Highlands, meet a naval soldier stationed on one of Viet Nam's most remote islands and visit one of HCM City's best shoemakers.

Readers can also catch up on what's hot in the country's culinary, sports and arts scenes - and check out our listings for everything from bars to embassies. Outlook retails for VND15,000 at news-stands, major hotels and restaurants, at the head office of the Viet Nam News at 11 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ha Noi, or at our HCM City office at 120 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. — VNS

Thang Long-Hanoi’s millennium celebration opens

A solemn ceremony was held at the Ly Thai To Flower Garden in the morning of October 1 to kick off 10 days of celebrations for the Millennium of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Opening the ceremony, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, together with Party, State and Hanoi municipal leaders offered incense before the Statue of King Ly Thai To, who had a strategic and sound decision to remove the country’s capital city from Hoa Lu in the northern province of Ninh Binh to Dai La (now Hanoi), opening up a long-term development direction for following generations.

Addressing the event, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi stressed that the historical transfer of the capital from Hoa Lu surrounded by one mountain after another to the centre of the Red River Delta formed an extraordinary step forward for the nation, reaffirming the will to build the national independence and unification and ushering in a new era for the Dai Viet. Thang Long-Hanoi’s thousand-year history has been constantly cultivated by heroic exploits.

“Generations of Vietnamese living in the Ho Chi Minh era, owners of our majestic land and an independent and free country, will surely advance without any misgivings to the future, a future of more beautiful Vietnam so much desired by President Ho Chi Minh,” he said.

At the ceremony, General Director of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Irina Bokova presented a certificate recognising the Thang Long Royal Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage to the Hanoi leaders.

While showing her admiration at Vietnam , one of the few countries in the world that still preserves lively memories of the capital transfer 1,000 years ago, Irina Bokova also recommended that Vietnam should take responsibility for the humankind through promoting the heritage to future generations.

The jubilant atmosphere of the grand celebrations has been seen in each street, each lane and each face of the capital. All roads leading to the Ly Thai To Flower Garden, where the opening ceremony took place, are decorated by flags, banners and flowers. Hanoi is putting on itself a new colourful dress to celebrate its 1,000 th birthday.

Jeanne Huynh, an overseas Vietnamese in France , couldn’t hide her feeling when returning to the homeland to attend the great event of the capital and the country. She said she was proud of being a Vietnamese.

Vietnam’s successful hosting of many international events and the recognition of the Thang Long Royal Citadel as a World Culture Heritage have proven the country’s increasingly improved position, she said.

Jeanne Huynh also expressed her belief that in the next 10-15 years, Vietnam can stand on a par with developed countries in the world.

For the UK Ambassador to Vietnam , Mark Kent, the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi is an event of special significance for him as he is going to end his three-year term of office in Hanoi .

Mark Kent said he was honoured to live and work in the 1,000-year-old city of Hanoi . He added that he will join a number of activities during the anniversary, including a race for peace around Hoan Kiem Lake on October 3.

The millennium celebrations of Thang Long-Hanoi will be held within ten days with numerous artistic and cultural activities throughout the capital city.

Highlights of the celebrations will be a meeting and a parade at the Ba Dinh Square as well as a cultural and art gala night at the My Dinh National Stadium on October 10./.

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Buddhism, literature with Hanoi’s millennial growth

A recent symposium has provided an insight into Buddhism and literature’s immense contributions and their connection with the capital city of Hanoi over its 1,000-year development course.

The symposium “Literature and Buddhism with the 1,000 th founding anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi” took place in the southern province of Binh Duong last weekend. It brought together 300 religious and non-religious researchers of Buddhism and literature, and Buddhist dignitaries in Ho Chi Minh City and southern localities.

Close to 100 presentations focused on Buddhism’s role in the founding and development of the former Thang Long capital city and Dai Viet under the Ly dynasties (1009-1226) and the Tran dynasty (1226-1400), Buddhist literature, literature under the Ly and Tran dynasties and the later dynasties, and contemporary literature and southern literature as seen in relation with 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi.

They helped highlight lessons on national development and defence, international diplomacy, religious tolerance, democracy, politics and Buddhism’s company with the nation, said Most Venerable Thich Giac Toan, Vice President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, who is also head of the symposium organising board./.

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