NGHE AN (VNS)— The north-central region is a land of natural, cultural and historical heritage which needs to be protected and promoted, according to Nguyen Xuan Duong, chairman of the Nghe An People's Committee.

Duong told a workshop yesterday that the work would accelerate regional heritage tourism and economic development.

Entitled "Cultural and Natural Heritage in the North-Central Region – Preservation and Promotion", the workshop was held in the central province of Nghe An by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences with the participation of many experts from around the country.

The region, consisting of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, has four heritage sites recognised by the UNESCO. They are the Ho Dynasty Citadel in Thanh Hoa, the complex of Hue monuments, Hue's nha nhac (royal music) and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Nam.

It also has many other national relics.

The workshop provided a chance to assess the heritages and recommend preservation and promotion methods.

On the same day, a seminar on the connection between contemporary art and heritage was held at the Ha Noi College of Fine Arts.

It was part of a project to research, collect and promote the value of communal houses in the northern region's villages, carried out since last year by artists and researchers led by researcher Bui Thi Thanh Mai.

The major points discussed were Vietnamese contemporary art in relation with heritage, experience in approaching heritage in regional and worldwide contemporary art and the role of heritage in art creativity.

"Contemporary art often involves problems of a modern society such as violence, sexuality and pollution, while traditional culture is ignored. I'm interested in the way contemporary artists inherit and apply heritage values in their artworks," Mai said.

"When artists express their concern with heritage and tradition, their artworks will be more humane, have good influence on the community and contribute to the society's development." — VNS