Published:  00:00 Monday - April 06, 2009

The 12th international UNESCO-University and Heritage Forum is taking place in the city with the participation of nearly 400 delegates, including 280 foreigners from 52 countries.

The sixth-day forum The Scenery of Historical Cities is an opportunity for Vietnamese researchers to learn about international experiences in preserving historical urban centres, according to vice-rector of the Hanoi University of Architecture Do Hau.

Chairman of the Hanoi City People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao said, ”Having experienced ups and downs, Thang Long-Hanoi has maintained its valuable cultural and historical vestiges, as well as traditional original values imbued with Vietnamese culture.”

He said city authorities want international researchers and scholars to take note of Hanoi and help to disseminate positive information about the city to the rest of the world. He expressed hope that the former Thang Long Imperial Citadel would be recognised as a world heritage site, he said.

Vietnam, particularly Hanoi, will be highlighted through the exhibition of photos, artifacts and cultural heritage items and the screening of the documentary film “Thang Long-Ascending Dragon City”.

The forum, which will run through Friday, is co-organised by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, the Hanoi City People’s Committee, the Hanoi University of Architecture and Spain’s Valencia University of Technology.