Hanoi has received UNESCO’s certificate recognising 82 stone steles in the Temple of Literature as World Documentary Heritage. The stele engraved with doctoral records during the Le and Mac dynasties (1442-1779) were recognised at the annual meeting of the Committee for World Memory in Asian-Pacific in Macao, China in mid March.

Speaking at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 7, Nguyen Sinh Hung, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the National Committee for the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, stressed that recognising the steles is an extremely meaningful present for Hanoi in particular and the whole nation in general, particularly as Hanoi is busy preparing for its millennial celebarations.

Mr. Hung praised the great contributions made by organisations, researchers and UNESCO Vietnam in successfully preparing and submitting a profile of the steles to UNESCO and expressed his gratitude for the organisation’s decision to recognize the steles as important cultural artefacts.

He also urged relevant agencies to continue nominating other cultural relic sites in Hanoi, especially the Thang Long Citadel, to UNESCO for recognition.

Earlier, the Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, Ngo Thi Thanh Hang said that the recognition will provide a good platform for a series of cultural events being held in Hanoi and will contribute more to promoting the image of the capital city to international friends.