In celebration the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of The Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (25/04/1988-25/04/2018), the scientific conference “Thirty years of preservation and development of The Special National Relic Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam” was held at the Front Building of the landmark on April 19, 2018. The Center for Scientific and Cultural Activities of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam was founded on April 25, 1988, following the decision 1776/QĐ/UB by the People’s Committee of Hanoi. According to the Ordinance on protection and use of Vietnamese historical cultural relics, the Center’s main functions are managing the national relic Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam, as well as organizing scientific, cultural and artistic activities in the area. Protecting and restoring the landmark are also responsibilities of the organization. Over 30 years of operation, the Center has achieved remarkable results in terms of managing and preserving the values of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam.

Figure 1: Mr. Nguyen Vinh Cat, Former Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Infomation, Former Director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam

The conference was held with the purpose of evaluating activities organized by the Center over the last three decades and orienting for the future development of the relic. Additionally, the conference is also the place for showing gratitude for all generations of the Center’s board of directors.

Figure 2: Professor Dang Van Bai, Former Director of Cultural Heritage Department, Vice President of the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam

The Conference was attended by representatives of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Department of Cultural Heritage, Hanoi's Department of Tourism, Hanoi's Department of Culture and Sports, People's Commitee of Dong Da district and many travel companies in Hanoi.

Figure 3: Dr. Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam.

At the end of the conference, Dr. Le Xuan Kieu – Director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam, expressed his affection for the landmark and thanked all leaders and staff for their contributions to the development of the Center. He believes that the Center’s 30 year tradition is the foundation for the sustainable development of the landmark and Vietnamese culture.

The conference is important to the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam regarding giving suitable direction for the expansion of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam, which plays an essential role in increasing the number of domestic and foreign visitors and bringing Vietnamese heritage values to the world.

Phương Thảo