Hoi An and Da Lat were recognized as “UNESCO creative cities” in the fields of crafts – folk arts and music.
On the occasion of World Cities Day October 31, UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay signed a decision to recognize Da Lat and Hoi An and 53 other cities in the world on the list of “Network of Creative Cities of the World”. UNESCO” (UCCN). Hoi An is a creative city in the field of folk crafts and arts while Da Lat is a creative city in music.
According to the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Sports, Vietnam currently has three creative cities recognized by UNESCO. In 2019, Hanoi was recognized as a creative city in the field of design.
UCCN was established in 2004 to promote cooperation between cities that share the goal of considering creativity as a strategic element for sustainable urban development. The network currently has 350 cities from more than 100 countries, focusing on 7 creative fields including Design, Literature, Music, Crafts and Folk Arts, Cuisine, Cinema and Media Arts.
New Creative Cities recognized by UNESCO will implement commitments stated in their accession documents, providing legal solutions to global issues such as climate change and increasing inequality.
Da Lat and Hoi An are part of the Project to develop a system of creative cities in Vietnam under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network approved by the Prime Minister. According to the roadmap from now to 2030, every two years, a maximum of two Vietnamese cities will develop and submit candidacy documents to join UCCN with the goal of having 4-6 cities recognized as UNESCO Creative Cities. .
Responding to VnExpress, Hoi An City Chairman Nguyen Van Son said “it is an honor to join the network but there is a heavy responsibility”.
According to Mr. Son, Hoi An has strengths in the fields of handicrafts and folk arts. With this accession, Hoi An has the conditions to promote the development of traditional fields such as preserving and promoting carpentry, pottery, bamboo, and Cam Thanh nipa palm villages, and at the same time promoting handicraft industries such as lantern.
“Through this network, Hoi An can learn from the experiences of previous cities, especially advanced cities in the world, because in the network there are nearly 200 cities,” Mr. Son. Many places are leaders in the field of building smart cities, creativity, and digital transformation.
In addition to the advantages, the Chairman of Hoi An said that when joining, the responsibility is also great, because there are very high criteria for the environment and sustainable development. “These are both challenges and opportunities for the city to develop sustainably,” he said.
Mr. Son said that when recognized, Hoi An did not place much emphasis on attracting a large number of tourists immediately. The city participates for the purpose of quality development, not quantity. When the city’s reputation improves and its quality is good, more tourists will come and people’s jobs will improve.
For Da Lat, becoming a UNESCO Creative City in the field of music is meaningful good news in the context of 2023, when the city celebrates 130 years of formation and development. The city hopes that in addition to tourism, the potential of cultural industries, especially music, will play a core role in promoting international integration, sustainable urban development, and connecting social groups. society, nation and improve people’s quality of life.
“Cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are playing a pioneering role in promoting cultural accessibility and strengthening the power of creativity in sustainable urban development,” UNESCO Director-General Azoulay said.