Experts in a discussion about documents at the Tang Thu Lau (Photo: Hue Monuments Conservation Center)

The working session was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Ngoc, Director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Aix Marseille University; Ms. Olivia Pelletier - Chief Heritage Curator responsible for Heritage funds (India, Indochina) at the Overseas Territories Archives Department (Archives nationales d’Outre-mer, ANOM); Assoc. Prof. Dr. Frederic Roustan, Institute of East Asian Studies at Lyon University (France), and leaders of Hue Monuments Conservation Center.

At the working session, Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center, emphasized the importance of data storage and the desire to search for data on the Royal music, antiques, and green trees; along with articles and images to serve the work of recovering, researching and restoring the Complex of Hue Monuments. Mr. Hoang Viet Trung also shared his desire to participate in international research cooperation programs on culture and heritages with France and Japan.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Ngoc, at the Institute of Asian Studies, her foreign colleagues and herself understand very well the importance of Hue, documents and materials to Hue, as well as the research on Hue to the Institute; therefore, she hoped that the provincial leaders as well as leaders of Hue Monuments Conservation Center would support in implementing the mentioned activities. At the same time, they will support foreign researchers and Vietnamese people to train the younger generations and transfer knowledge and materials. "We hope that the Tang Thu Lau will be a "red address" for those who want to learn and research about the Central region, they will come here and be welcomed, get access to documents, and be able to work," she said.

 Ms. Olivia Pelletier - Chief Heritage Curator responsible for Heritage funds (India, Indochina) at the Overseas Territories Archives Department visited Kien Trung Palace (Photo: Hue Monuments Conservation Center)

Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center said that through the working session with the leading experts from France and Vietnam, opportunities for cooperation and sharing of documents had been opened up. This is an important and urgent issue that the Center wants the experts to cooperate, care, and support the center to restore the heritage values of Vietnam in particular and the world in general.

Previously, Ms. Olivia Pelletier - Chief Heritage Curator responsible for Heritage funds (India, Indochina) at the Overseas Territories Archives Department had visited Tang Thu Lau, and Kien Trung Palace, and had a working session with the Center.

The two sides discussed the possibilities of cooperation between French Overseas Territories Archives Department and Hue Monuments Conservation Center. Ms. Olivia Pelletier promised to create the best support conditions and allow researchers of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center to access and copy completely the documents in France to serve the research and restoration of relics in Hue.

The French Overseas Territories Archives Department has currently preserved and stored all documents about French colonial history from the 17th century to the mid-20th century in France, in which, the archive of documents on the Indochina is estimated to be more than 3 km long, including records, maps and geographical diagrams, civil status books and letters, as well as a large number of pictures and many documents belonging to private individuals.

By LIEN MINH