Culture & Life

“Wake-up” of Co Loa legacy  

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Hanoi City People’s Committee has approved the plan for management, conservation and promotion of the value of Co Loa relic area, for period 2018-2020, vision to 2030 with much work to be implement. It is considered the timely decision, helping “wake up” and promote the movement in the conservation and sustainable development of Co Loa..

Hanoi City People’s Committee has approved the plan for management, conservation and promotion of the value of Co Loa relic area, for period 2018-2020, vision to 2030 with much work to be implement. It is considered the timely decision, helping “wake up” and promote the movement in the conservation and sustainable development of Co Loa legacy with many obstacles.

Landscape of Co Loa relic area

One of the permanent difficulties in preserving and promoting the Co Loa legacy (Co Loa Commune, Dong Anh District) is that there are hundreds of households living in all three parts of Co Loa and most of them have been granted the right to use land under the Land Law.

Due to the needs of the people, on the surface and the foot of the relic, people cultivate, raise livestock and construct year-after-year, making the relics distorted even in many areas (archaeological site Dong Vong , almost the whole Noi city …) are in danger of being wiped out. In recent times, the speed of sawing and tiling for many purposes increased gradually, but the inspection and handling are only carried out when “the activities already occurred”.

Deputy Head of Co Loa relic said that according to the functions and duties, the Management Board only manages the relic in the Noi city area and some other places with the total area of 40ha. The remaining area of the relic with over 860ha managed by Co Loa Commune People’s Committee. Therefore, the violations occurred in the localility, the Board can only mobilize and remind the people and notify in writing the CPC of handling, but have no right to punish and suspend.

Meanwhile, according to deputy director of the Center for the Thang Long Hanoi Heritage Conservation Phan Duy Thang, the value of the Cổ Loa relic is not only located at the temples but also the ancient rings and trenches. However, these areas have not yet been addressed, causing serious violations. Besides the conservation work meets many difficulties, the promotion of the value of Co Loa relics have not been effectively implemented based on the evidence that, on average/year, only about 130,000 visitors go to the relic.

In the above situation, the Hanoi City People’s Committee has just issued the plan for managing, preserving and promoting the value of Co Loa relic area in 2018-2020 with the vision to 2030 for the purpose of preserving the current status, restoration of some wall sections, and construction of appropriate conservation plans for each type. The City People’s Committee requires the relevant authorities to identify the risk, propose measures to thoroughly address factors that may affect the value of the relic; to work out plans to protect the relic in harmony with the development of environment and tourism, and to ensure the living conditions of the population in the area; raise awareness of the community in the management and protection of the relic associated with the rights and responsibilities of local people.
Mr. Le Dung said that the above plan will contribute to overcoming the difficulties in preserving and promoting the value of Co Loa heritage in the current period. In the immediate future, the Management Board shall work out plans on surveying, checking, monitoring and evaluation of the technical status of architectural monuments and wall and trench systems so as to work out the more effective protection plans.

With the management of the population and the pressure of development, the unit will coordinate with other departments, branches and local authorities to accelerate the relocation of households living in protected areas, research and adjust the traffic routes in the relic area.

In order to preserve and develop the value of Co Loa heritage, it is necessary to have immediate and long-term solutions to solve the conflicts between conservation and development. In particular, it is required to make change in conservation thinking, identify the core zone, focus on protection of all rings not only the area of the Noi city as current; focus on exploiting the unique advantages of Co Loa for tourism, helping the heritage develop sustainably. At the same time, the process of implementation should take account of the rights and responsibilities of the people so that they can contribute their ideas and participate in the process of preserving and promoting the heritage values..

New Hanoi Newspaper