Compiling a dossier on the Nine Dynastic Urns for UNESCO’s World Documentary Heritage

With unique and significant values in terms of form and informational content, "The Engravings on the Nine Dynastic Urns of Hue Imperial Citadel" was recognized by UNESCO as a Documentary Heritage in the Asia-Pacific region's Memory of the World Program on May 8th. This marks Hue's fourth UNESCO-listed documentary heritage.

At 13:09 on May 8th (local time), in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Vietnam's dossier "Bronze castings on the Nine Dynastic Urns at the Imperial Citadel of Hue" was approved and officially became a documentary heritage of UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme for the Asia-Pacific Region.

Inspired by patterns on Nine Dynastic Urns of the Nguyen Dynasty, which located in Hue Imperial Citadel, nearly 60 wood engraving artworks have been curated and introduced to the public on the morning of March 19th at Le Ba Dang Art Center (Hue Museum of Fine Arts, 15 Le Loi Street, Hue City).

The dragon, known by the character "long", is a mythical creature steeped in supernatural qualities, standing at the forefront among the four sacred animals: "dragon, unicorn, tortoise, phoenix". It emerged thousands of years before the Common Era, gradually elevated to a symbol in East Asian culture. The dragon is seen as the ruler governing the rivers and seas, often referred to as the Dragon King.

Heading towards Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23), the National Archives Center No.1 (under the State Records and Archives Department) and Hue Monuments Conservation Center will jointly open an exhibition space themed "Imperial Archives of the Nguyen Dynasty - Memory of a Dynasty" on November 17, at the Exhibition Building, the National Archives Center I, at 5 Vu Pham Ham Street, Yen Hoa, Cau Giay, Hanoi.