UNESCO Vietnam celebrates 40 years

The Vietnam branch of UNESCO has been an effective bridge between the nation and the rest of the world, Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
On a song: Vietnamese artists perform Quan ho songs, A UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritage, at the ceremony to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO (1977-2017) on Monday in Ha Noi.

On a song: Vietnamese artists perform Quan ho songs, A UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritage, at the ceremony to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO (1977-2017) on Monday in Ha Noi.

He was speaking at a meeting held in Ha Noi to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Viet Nam branch of UNESCO).

“The National Commission for UNESCO has played an important role in making cultural diplomacy an important pillar of modern Vietnamese diplomacy.

“Its efforts have evoked national pride, nourished aspirations to develop the country’s economy and society while preserving its cultural identity, enriching the image of Vietnamese people among international friends,” he said.

The event drew the participation of government officials, ambassadors and other guests.

In the 40 years since its inception on June 15,1977,  UNESCO Viet Nam has worked as an advisory body to the Government and helped implement policies in culture, education and science.

The 40th birthday celebrations was an opportunity to spotlight UNESCO Viet Nam’s achievements, particularly in preserving the nation’s culture and heritage.

Dang Thi Bich Lien, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and Vice President of UNESCO Viet Nam, said that the agency’s most outstanding achievement in the last 40 years was the building of dossiers to submit to UNESCO for recognition of monuments and unique, indigenous art forms as world heritages.

Until now, UNESCO has recognised seven world heritage sites in Viet Nam: the complex of monuments in Hue, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An Town, My Son Sanctuary, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and the Trang An Landscape.

The country also has 11 Intangible Cultural Heritages recognised by UNESCO: belief in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms, a traditional practice with a long history in Viet Nam; Tugging rituals and games; Vi and Giam folk songs; Don ca tai tu (southern folk music); the worship of Hung Kings; Xoan singing in Phu Tho; Giong festival of Phu Dong and Soc temples; Ca Tru singing; Quan ho folk songs of Bac Ninh; Gong culture in the Central Highlands and Nha Nhac – Vietnamese court music.

Minh said UNESCO Viet Nam should focus on training its personnel so that it can strengthen its relations with UNESCO, have more Vietnamese nationals work for the agency, including the highest posts.

In April, Pham Sanh Chau became the first Vietnamese to be nominated for the position of Director-General of UNESCO for the 2017-2021 tenure.

VNS

Other News

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

In recent years, Ta Xua, dubbed "the paradise of clouds", has emerged as one of the mountainous destinations attracting strong interest from young travellers, particularly for its spectacular sea of clouds stretching across the mountains in the northwestern region.

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Training local young people in filming, audio recording, digital storytelling, data preservation and responsible use of AI can help build a new generation of cultural custodians. This, in turn, can help transform cultural heritage into a resource for economic development while contributing to the country’s broader development.

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

With growing recognition of indigenous knowledge, customs and cultural values as unique assets, ethnic communities in the northern mountainous region are shifting from simply providing tourism services to becoming creators and owners of tourism products, confidently telling their own cultural stories

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, noted that the official proclamation of the 2027–2036 period as the "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development" comes at a particularly important moment. As the international community works to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda while beginning to consider what comes after 2030, the Decade provides a ten-year framework to strengthen the place of culture in development.

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Under Resolution 80-NQ/TW, dated January 7, 2026, November 24 was designated Vietnam Culture Day, to be observed annually. The occasion aims to give the public opportunities to participate in, create and enjoy cultural activities, helping spread positive values and foster pride in Vietnamese culture.

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

For the MICE tourism sector in both Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, growth can no longer be driven merely by increasing the number of events; instead, the focus must shift to enhancing the value of each event and the competitiveness of each destination.

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Women’s football movements in local communities have been quietly growing, but they’ve now built up enough momentum to inspire organisers to launch the first Vietnam Ethnic Minority Women’s Football – VTV Cup in 2026.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

According to the magazine, boat trips into Phong Nha Cave and strolls through Paradise Cave (both family-friendly) offer a tantalising glimpse of their astonishing scale, but the real adventure lies deeper within the park, where cavers wade through underground rivers and weave among stalagmites.

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism effectiveness should be measured not only by visitor numbers and revenue, but also by spending, length of stay, repeat visits, job quality, visitor satisfaction and environmental carrying capacity, said experts.

Vietnam welcomes nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Vietnam tourism maintains strong growth, expands international markets

The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance reported that Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. The figure represented 63.6% of the tourism sector’s full-year target of 25 million arrivals.

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

Ngo Phuong Ly, the spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, said the two countries share similarities in silk weaving and can enrich their cultural heritage through exchanges and experience sharing.