VN nominates two heritage sites for UNESCO recognition

The Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO on Nov. 30 submitted two separate files of stone steles at the Ha Noi Temple of Literature (Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam) and the Dong Van Stone Plateau to the United Nations World Heritage Center (UNESCO) for recognition as cultural and geological heritages.
The 82 doctoral laureate steles at the Temple of Literature in Ha Noi will run for the post of a cultural heritage in the Asia Pacific Region in the “Memory of the World” Program.
Their file generally briefs historical and legal information of the steles, plans on preservation, and management.
The stone steles are carved with the names of 2,313 Vietnamese doctoral laureates who passed the royal competitions in the period of 1442-1779 under the Early Le, Mac and Late Le dynasties.
According to quite a few experts, the stone steles in the Temple of Literature are the only ones of their kind in Viet Nam and the world as they have inscriptions on the history of royal examinations and the royal philosophy about education, training and use of talents.
The Dong Van Limestone Plateau is nominated for the status of a world-class geological park.
Covering an area of 574 km2, the plateau is located in four districts: Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac and Dong Van of the Northern border province of Ha Giang.
It has abundant sites with geological and palaeobiological values. This is also home to 17 Vietnamese ethnic groups.