Eight years ago, on May 19, 2016, the heritage “Poetry and Literature on Hue Royal Architecture” (1802 - 1945) was recognized as a World Documentary Heritage in the Asia-Pacific region by the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP).
The poems and literary inscriptions, crafted in bronze enameled (Phap Lam) and glazed ceramic tiles on royal architectural structures, have been preserved. Photo: Heritage Conservation Center
The recognition of “Poetry and Literature on Hue Royal Architecture” as a World Documentary Heritage marked the fifth heritage site from the Nguyen Dynasty and the seventh heritage site in the ancient capital in various categories: Cultural Heritage, Intangible Heritage, and Documentary Heritage by UNESCO organizations.
Recently, Thua Thien Hue achieved its eighth World Heritage recognition when the embossed inscriptions on the Nine Dynastic Urns in Hue Imperial City (also known as the Cuu Dinh of Hue Imperial City) were recognized as a World Documentary Heritage by MOWCAP on May 8, 2024, in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.
Poems and literature inlaid with ivory and bone in the interior of Long An Palace. Photo: Heritage Conservation Center
Currently, Hue royal architecture preserves 2,967 poem panels engraved and gilded on wood, 146 poem panels gilded with bronze enamele (Phap Lam), and 88 ceramic tiled panels, couplets, and essays. These are unique documentary heritages, original and only extant in Vietnam, possessing outstanding global value.
Experts have commented that the poetry and literature on Hue royal architecture represent a distinctive style in royal architectural decoration not found elsewhere in the world. This system of literary heritage is truly a lively, unique, and exclusive museum of Nguyen Dynasty literature. It conveys historical, cultural, and artistic messages from a notable period in Vietnam’s modern history. These are invaluable artworks, an extensive historical repository, and a heritage containing many precious values that need special attention for preservation.
To this day, the system remains well-preserved, except for works lost due to the destruction of certain structures.
By Lien Minh