Complex of Hué Monuments
Factors affecting the property in 1999*
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Housing
- Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
- Management activities
- Management systems/ management plan
- Storms
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Termites invasion (issue resolved)
- Fire at the property (issue resolved)
- Increasing urbanization
- Impact of road upgrading
- Rapid tourism development
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1999
Total amount approved : 263,906 USD
| 1999 | Emergency assistance for Hoi An and Hue following the ... (Approved) | 25,000 USD |
| 1999 | Assistance for technical cooperation to Hue and Hoi An (Approved) | 8,406 USD |
| 1998 | Promotion of the Convention at Complex of Hue Monuments (Approved) | 5,000 USD |
| 1998 | Historic monument of Queen Mother's Palace (Approved) | 50,000 USD |
| 1997 | Revision of urban planning regulations of the Complex ... (Approved) | 35,000 USD |
| 1997 | Establishment of Building Guidelines in Hue (Approved) | 12,500 USD |
| 1994 | New laboratory equipment and on-the-job training ... (Approved) | 108,000 USD |
| 1994 | Training Proqramme in the conservation of Architecture, ... (Not approved) | 0 USD |
| 1994 | Organization of a seminar in Hanoi on the protection of ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 1999**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1999
Previous deliberations:
World Heritage Committee, eighteenth session - Chapter IX.22
World Heritage Bureau, eighteenth extraordinary session – Chapter VI.2.B
World Heritage Bureau, eighteenth extraordinary session – Chapter V.C.2
World Heritage Bureau, eighteenth extraordinary session – Chapter III.C
World Heritage Bureau, eighteenth extraordinary session – Chapter III.C
World Heritage Committee, nineteenth session – Chapter VII.49
World Heritage Committee, twentieth session – Chapter VII.70
World Heritage Committee, twenty-first session – Chapter VII.54
World Heritage Committee, twenty-second session - Chapter VII.43
New information:Hue, Lille Metropole and the World Heritage Centre’s collaboration on the legal diagnosis and urban deformation analyses of Zones I and II of Hue World Heritage area carried out in 1998 with funding support from the World Heritage Fund, Government of France and Lille Metropole was continued in 1999 through an expert meeting held in April 1999 .
The draft urban conservation and development plan of Hue which includes the World Heritage site of the Complex of Hue Monuments was presented at this expert workshop by the Hue Provincial and Municipal authorities and is currently being evaluated in detail by the World Heritage Centre and Lille Metropole with the support of a high-level French architect-urbanist seconded to the Centre under the France-UNESCO Co-operation Agreement for the Protection and Development of Monumental and Urban Heritage. The donors’ meeting initially planned for March 1999 had to be postponed to enable the full evaluation of the draft plan. This donors meeting, aimed to present the draft conservation and development plan to bilateral and multilateral development co-operation agencies and representatives of donor states to be organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and hosted by the Provincial Government of Hue with technical support by the Centre and Lille Metropole, is now being planned for April 2000 on the occasion of the Hue 2000 cultural event organized by the governments of France and Vietnam.
Deformation of the Hue urban heritage being caused by the lack of awareness and respect for the conservation needs of the local population, the community advisory function of the « Heritage House » established jointly by the provincial and municipal authorities and the Hue Conservation Centre with support from the Centre and Lille Metropole, will be vital to the conservation effort. To raise public awareness of the local population, the State Party has submitted an international assistance request under promotion to produce the Vietnamese version of the World Heritage education kit and to hold a series of national youth fora, including in Hue. This request could not be supported due to lack of funds in 1999 but will be considered under the 2000 budget.
Discussions are currently underway with the concerned national and local authorities on the funding of the national experts of the Heritage House to evaluate building permit requests and technical assistance to local inhabitants. Lille Metropole is preparing the modalities of a Housing Improvement Fund for the local population with support from the Caisse des Depots et Consignations of France. A project proposal for funding support under the European Commission’s AsiaUrbs Programme has also been submitted to enable the initiation of this grant and soft loan scheme to conserve the urban heritage of the World Heritage protected areas and to improve the housing conditions of the poor.
To halt the continuing deterioration of the urban heritage components of the World Heritage value of the site, and to properly manage the on-going and future change in Hue, housing and employment needs of the residents need to be incorporated in the conservation planning process. Moreover, the preliminary sustainable tourism study conducted in 1995 by the Centre and the UNESCO Bangkok Office needs to be continued to evaluate the infrastructural development needs and their impact on the World Heritage area to meet the tourism and related growth targeted by the national tourism authorities.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1999
23 COM X.B.45
SOC: Complex of Hué Monuments (Vietnam)
X.45 Complex of Hué Monuments (Vietnam)
The Committee recalled the report from the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee examined the report of the Secretariat and expressed sympathy for the victims of the November floods and concern over the serious extent of the damage caused by the floods to the monuments and urban landscape of the Hue World Heritage site. Having examined the new information provided to the Bureau by the Vietnamese authorities and the Secretariat, the Committee allocated an initial sum of US$ 50,000 under the emergency assistance fund to support the rehabilitation of Hue and Hoi An, and the preparation of a comprehensive emergency rehabilitation programme, including risk assessment and mitigation schemes. The Committee noted the deployment of an expert mission organized by the Secretariat for early December, and requested the Centre to support the State Party in preparing the emergency rehabilitation programme and in mobilizing international co-operation.
With regard to the new focus since 1997 on urban heritage conservation, the Committee noted the efforts being made by the Provincial and Municipal Authorities of Hué and the Hué Conservation Centre in mitigating the deterioration of the historic urban fabric of the World Heritage protected areas and commends Lille Metropole, UNESCO and the French Government for the support provided to the local authorities in integrating conservation concerns in the overall urban development plan. In this regard, the Committee reiterated the importance of preserving the authenticity and integrity of the Citadel of Hué marked by its urban morphology, spatial organization and vegetation which together form the « feng shui » philosophy adopted in the original construction and subsequent transformation of this imperial city. The Committee encouraged the State Party for its initiative in organizing the donors' meeting scheduled in April 2000 with technical support from the World Heritage Centre and Lille Metropole, and suggests that the emergency programme for the rehabilitation of the flood-caused damages be presented at this donors' meeting in addition to the urban conservation programme. It suggested, furthermore, that the project proposals be forwarded in advance to the members of the Committee, and that invitations be extended to the Committee and advisory bodies, as well as to the international development co-operation agencies and Vietnambased diplomatic missions. Finally, the Committee noted that the written report that the Bureau at its twenty-second session requested the State Party to submit by 15 September 1999, had not been received to date. The Committee therefore requested the State Party to prepare an initial progress report on the rehabilitation effort, as well as on measures taken to ensure the conservation and appropriate development of the urban heritage of Hué by 1 May 2000 for review by the Bureau at its twentyfourth session."
23 COM XV.6.3
International Assistance for Cultural Heritage approved by the Committee
The Committee examined and approved the following 14 requests for international assistance for cultural heritage for a total of US$ 694,348, which had been recommended by the Bureau:
3.AFRICA(c).I REGIONAL Training assistance
AFRICA 2009
US$ 80,000 requested US$ 80,000 approved
The Committee approved US$ 80,000 for this training activity in the sub-Saharan African region bearing in mind that the activity would be implemented by the World Heritage Centre, ICCROM and CRATerreEAG.
3.AFRICA(d).III ZIMBABWE Technical Co-operation
Implementation of a management plan for Khami Ruins
US$ 50,300 requested US$ 50,300 approved
The Committee approved US$ 50,300 for this activity, requesting the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe to support the cost of connectivity of Internet after the year 2000 and to submit to the twenty-fifth session of the Committee, a report on the conservation, monitoring and management activities carried out at Khami in 1999 and 2000.
3.ARAB(c).I SYRIA Training assistance
Seminar on cultural tourism, sustainable development and management of World Heritage sites
US$ 58,000 requested US$ 35,000 approved
The Committee approved US$ 35,000, subject to the State Party reformulating the programme and budget in consultation with ICCROM.
3.ARAB(c).II TUNISIA Training assistance
Training and information international workshop for protecting Carthage
US$ 50,000 requested US$ 40,000 approved
The Committee referred the request, asking the State Party to undertake consultations with ICOMOS and ICCROM for reformulating the proposed activity. The Committee approved US$ 40,000 subject to the State Party reformulating the proposal in close co-operation with the advisory bodies.
3.ARAB(d).I EGPYT Technical Co-operation
Rehabilitation of Islamic Cairo
US$ 100,000 requested US$ 80,000 approved
The Committee decided to approve US$ 80,000, subject to the State Party providing further information on the details of the activities to the Advisory Bodies and approval of a revised budget by the Chairperson of the Committee.
3.ARAB(d).II LEBANON Technical Co-operation
Restoration works for the Monasteries of Ouadi Quadisha and Forest of the Cedars of God
US$ 50,000 requested US$ 35,000 approved
Following the evaluation by IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM, the Committee approved US$ 35,000 for the first phase of the activity proposed to take place in year 2000, requesting the State Party to consult IUCN in undertaking the ecological research, and to consult ICOMOS and ICCROM on the international experts to be engaged for this activity.
The Committee recommended that the State Party submit a request for US$ 15,000 for the second phase of the activity in year 2001.
3.ASIA(b).I VIETNAM Emergency assistance
Emergency assistance for Hue & Hoi An, following the floods of November 1999.
US$ 100,000 requested US$ 50,000 approved
The Committee recalled that it had already taken a decision to allocate US$ 50,000 during the agenda item concerning the state of conservation reports. The Committee approved US$ 50,000 to assist the State Party in the rehabilitation works of Hue and Hoi An and for the preparation of a comprehensive emergency rehabilitation programme including risk assessment and mitigation schemes.
3.ASIA(c).II. LAOS Training assistance
Plain of Jars archaeological survey and documentation
US$ 83,055 requested US$ 30,000 approved
The Committee approved US$ 30,000, requesting the State Party to revise the budget in co-operation with the UNESCO Bangkok Office, or to find co-financing from other extrabudgetary sources.
3.ASIA(c).VI UZBEKISTAN Training assistance
Training Workshop in the Preparation of the World Heritage Nomination Files on Urban Heritage Sites
US$ 41,000 requested US$ 30,000 approved
The Committee approved US$ 30,000 for the activity.
XV.7 The Committee noted that the last-minute submissions of international assistance requests resulted in great constraints on the part of the Secretariat and the advisory bodies, and reiterated the need to respect deadlines in submitting requests.
1.EUROPE(c).I HUNGARY Training assistance
ITUC training workshop for Central European Historic Cities managers
US$ 33,840 requested US$ 33,840 approved
1.EUROPE(d).I GEORGIA Technical Co-operation
Study and development of the Mtskheta Heritage and Tourism Master Plan
US$ 35,000 requested US$ 35,000 approved
The Committee approved US$ 35,000, subject to the State Party paying its outstanding dues to the World Heritage Fund for 1998 and 1999.
3.EUROPE(d).IV TURKEY Technical Co-operation
Completion of documentation of the buildings and monuments within the city walls of the Historic Centre of Istanbul site
US$ 58,376 requested US$ 35,208 approved
The Committee noted that the State Party had agreed to the revised budget proposed by the World Heritage Centre, endorsed by ICOMOS and ICCROM.
The Committee therefore approved US$ 35,208.
3.LATIN(b).III MEXICO Emergency assistance
Repair and consolidate Monastery of Tochimilco, Puebla
US$ 100,000 requested US$ 100,000 approved
The Committee approved US$ 100,000 for this activity, subject to the State Party submitting a detailed budget breakdown and clarification and identification on the tasks planned, to be approved by the Chairperson.
3.LATIN(d).I COLOMBIA Technical Co-operation
Integral conservation of Cloister of San Pedro Claver of Cartagena de Indias
US$ 60,000 requested US$ 60,000 approved
The Committee noted that a detailed budget breakdown of the activities to be carried out had been submitted to the Secretariat, which found the information to be sufficient and reasonable.
The Bureau may wish to adopt the following decision and transmit it to the Committee for noting:
“The Bureau appreciates the continued efforts of the Provincial and Municipal Authorities of Hué and the Hué Conservation Centre with technical support of Lille Metropole, UNESCO and the French Government in halting the deterioration of the urban heritage of the World Heritage protected areas of Hué. The Bureau expresses the importance of preserving the authenticity and integrity of the Citadel of Hué marked by its urban morphology, spatial organization and vegetation which were all part of the « feng shui » philosophy in the original construction and subsequent transformations. The Bureau therefore encourages the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and Lille Metropole in the successful organization of the donors’ meeting scheduled in April 2000 and requests that invitations be extended to members of the Committee and advisory bodies, as well as to the international development co-operation agencies and Vietnam-based diplomatic missions. The Bureau notes that the written report it requested the State Party to submit by 15 September 1999 had not been received to date and reiterates its request for a comprehensive report together with the conservation and development plan of Hué to be provided to the Secretariat by 15 September 2000 for review by the Bureau at its twenty-fourth extraordinary session in November 2000.”
Viet Nam
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
