Delegates discussing at the conference

The conference attracted cultural experts and researchers from across the country. There was Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Phan Ngoc Tho attending the conference.

Hue has many opportunities and conditions to become a creative city

At the conference, delegates shared experiences in building candidate profiles as well as maintaining and promoting creative elements, assessing opportunities, potentials, and challenges. From there, they proposed a creative city model for Hue as well as effective solutions to build Vietnam's creative cities network within the UNESCO creative cities system.

In particular, many opinions focused on the criteria for enrolling in UNESCO creative cities network - referring to Vietnam's conditions, opportunities and choices for Hue to meet these criteria.

Delegates also discussed the current status and trends of creative industry development in Vietnamese cities, with special reference to the case of Hue city following an ecological and heritage urban orientation.

Besides, there are opportunities for cooperation between Hue and other cities in UNESCO creative cities network, as well as the value of participating in this network for Hue, and necessary policies and solutions to support the development of Hue's creative economic industries. In particular, two areas that Hue is aiming to build a profile to join UNESCO's creative cities network are crafts and folk arts; and cuisine.

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was initiated in 2004 with the goal of promoting cooperation between cities with creativity as a strategic element for sustainable urban development.

Focusing on a diverse range of creative sectors, UCCN cities are committed to contributing to the network's shared vision through sharing experiences, developing partnerships, respecting diversity, and ensuring the integration of culture and creativity into all aspects of social life.

With this principle and vision, UCCN has received a positive response from the international community. By 2023, 301 cities have joined the network, of which 61 are registered with the music sector. In the spirit of respecting UCCN's core principles and values, activities associated with creative cities require active, proactive participation and contributions from many subjects, including managers, artists, cultural and creative practitioners, researchers, businesses, and the public.

Creating a harmonious transition in development

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts, said that in Vietnam, up to this point, Hanoi is the only city that has officially joined the UNESCO creative cities network in the field of design.

Hanoi has been gradually implementing the committed initiatives when joining the network with 3 initiatives at the local level: Creating the Hanoi Creative Design Center, Building and supporting creative spaces in Hanoi, and Producing Creative Talent television programs and 3 initiatives at the international level: Hanoi Creative Design Festival, UNESCO Creative Cities Network Forum in Southeast Asia, and Network of young creative designers.

According to Ms. Phuong, after Hanoi joined the network of creative cities in 2019, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism continues to implement a plan to build a Vietnam Creative Cities Network Development Project, and has identified potential cities including Ha Long, Hue, Da Nang, Da Lat, Vung Tau, and Ho Chi Minh City in 2021.

Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho once again affirmed that Hue is a land with a long history, converging unique values in the flow of Vietnamese culture through many periods. Hue is proud of what is being preserved and inherited, and is trying to promote the value of that cultural flow in the context that the people of the province are focusing their efforts on building Thua Thien Hue to become a centrally-governed city on the foundation of preserving and promoting Hue's heritage values and cultural identity.

The process of Hue urban development is oriented towards a heritage city in which the viewpoint of harmonious development, continuity between tradition and modernity, between conservation and development, between the profound atmosphere of Hue Ancient Capital and the innovative vibe is a thorough direction for Hue urban development in all fields. Choosing a creative urban model is an important direction for Hue to create a harmonious transition in development and is an opportunity to convert heritage values into assets so that people can get rich from what they have and what they are proud to preserve.