– As of November 3, the archaeological site at 18 Hoang Dieu, Hanoi, has been closed to preserve the relics. Since early October, when the site was opened for public on the occasion of Hanoi’s 1000th anniversary, it welcomed nearly 500,000 visitors.
Nguyen Van Son, director of the Centre for Preservation of Co Loa and Hanoi Citadels, said that on average around 30,000 people a day visited the relic during the 10-day anniversary. After that, the site hosted 2000-3000 people a day.
Because of the mass number of people visiting the site, some works need repairs, Son said.
The archaeological site at 18 Hoang Dieu closed on November 3, but the royal citadel will still be opened for visitors until the end of 2010.
During the Hanoi’s 1000th anniversary, visitors had a chance to see some of the relics which are preserved status quo at 18 Hoang Dieu and many outstanding archaeological objects.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee on August 1 recognized the Thang Long Royal Citadel as a World Heritage.
The citadel was recognized because of its three outstanding characteristics: the length of its cultural history, the continuity of the citadel as a center of power, and the variety of relics it contains.
Relics found in the center of the citadel show that it was influenced by many different cultures, theories, and systems of thought.
The center of the citadel embodies the enduring cultural tradition of the people of Vietnam’s Red River Delta, a tradition which has existed for 13 centuries
Restoration of the Royal Citadel began in 2006 when it was officially recognized as a special national relic.
PV
