Acts considered violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage in Vietnam

Acts considered violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage in Vietnam (Image from the Internet)

1. What is Cultural Heritage under the law in Vietnam?

Based on the provisions of Clause 1 Article 4 of the Law on Cultural Heritage 2001 amended by Clause 1 Article 1 of the Law amending Law on Cultural Heritage 2009, Vietnam's cultural heritage is a valuable asset of the Vietnamese ethnic community and a part of the cultural heritage of humanity. It plays a significant role in the national foundation and defense of our people.

Vietnamese cultural heritage includes intangible cultural heritage and tangible cultural heritage:

- Intangible cultural heritage is a spiritual product associated with a community or individual, related cultural objects, and spaces, of historical, cultural, and scientific value, reflecting the identity of the community, continuously recreated, and transmitted from generation to generation through oral tradition, teaching, performance, and other forms.

- Tangible cultural heritage is a physical product of historical, cultural, and scientific value, including historical-cultural relics, scenic spots, antiques, antiquities, and national treasures.

2. Acts considered violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage in Vietnam

Article 4 of Decree 98/2010/ND-CP stipulates acts considered violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage in Vietnam including:

* Acts distorting relics:

- Altering the original defining features of the relic by adding, relocating, or changing objects in the relic or improperly restoring or repairing the relic's defining features without permission from the competent state authority on culture, sports, and tourism, disseminating incorrect information about the content and value of the relic;

- Changing the environmental landscape of the relic such as cutting trees, breaking stones, digging, unauthorized construction, and other actions adversely affecting the relic.

* Acts posing a risk of destroying or diminishing the value of intangible cultural heritage:

- Disseminating and wrongly practicing the content of intangible cultural heritage;

- Arbitrarily introducing unsuitable new elements that diminish the value of intangible cultural heritage;

- Abusing the dissemination, performance, teaching of intangible cultural heritage for profiteering and other unlawful acts.

* The following cases are considered unauthorized excavation of archaeological sites:

- Arbitrarily excavating, searching for antiques, antiquities, and national treasures in protected relic areas and locations under archaeological planning like residential sites, burial sites, tool-making workshops, forts, and other archaeological locations;

- Arbitrarily searching for, salvaging antiques, antiquities, and national treasures still submerged underwater.

3. State policies for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values in Vietnam

Article 3 of Decree 98/110/ND-CP provides for the State policies for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values in Vietnam as follows:

- Develop and implement a targeted program for the conservation of exemplary cultural heritage.

- Award organizations and individuals for achievements in protecting and promoting the value of cultural heritage; consider awarding honorary state titles, and implement preferential policies in moral and material aspects for artisans and artists holding and contributing to the dissemination of traditional arts and special occupational secrets.

- Research and apply scientific and technological achievements in the following activities:

+ Exploring, excavating archaeology; preserving, repairing, restoring, and promoting the value of relics;

+ Appraising, managing collections, preserving objects, adjusting, renewing the content, form of display, and education activities of museums;

+ Collecting, preserving, and disseminating the value of intangible cultural heritage; establishing a cultural heritage data bank.

- Train and cultivate a specialized workforce in the field of protecting and promoting cultural heritage value.

- Encourage and facilitate domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to contribute mentally and materially or directly participate in activities to protect and promote the value of cultural heritage.

- Expand international cooperation forms in the field of protecting and promoting cultural heritage value; build and implement international cooperation projects in accordance with the law.

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE