From Hanoi's efforts to turn pho into a heritage of humanity
For many international tourists, the journey to Vietnam is not complete if they have not enjoyed a bowl of hot pho in Hanoi. Mr. Hendrick - a tourist from Peru, who came to Vietnam for the first time - said that he only knew about pho through TikTok before. A friend told Hendrick that if he had the opportunity to come to Vietnam, he must try local dishes, especially pho.
As someone who has traveled through more than 50 countries, Hendrick still has a special curiosity for Vietnam because of its rich cuisine and unique culture. He said: "I am very excited to try both beef and chicken pho to feel the difference. Enjoying a bowl of standard pho right in Hanoi is not just eating a dish, but a way to start a journey to explore Vietnamese culture.
According to Hanoi's plan, the city is implementing the protection, promotion and promotion of the value of the "Hanoi Pho" intangible cultural heritage, and at the same time building a dossier requesting UNESCO to include "Pho" in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is considered an important step to make cuisine one of the pillars of the Capital's cultural industry.
Building the "Pho" dossier to submit to UNESCO requires elaborate preparation. Hanoi will coordinate with localities with pho heritage such as Ninh Binh and some other provinces and cities to complete the dossier according to international regulations. Conferences and professional seminars with the participation of management agencies, experts, artisans and heritage practice communities will be organized to unify the content, determine core values and implementation roadmap.
Notably, recently Hanoi also had a document requesting the cultural agencies of 17 provinces and cities to coordinate in inventorying and reviewing pho variations nationwide. This list stretches from North to South, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Lang Son, Ninh Binh, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, An Giang, Can Tho, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Khanh Hoa.
In parallel with building dossiers, Hanoi promotes pho heritage on many platforms. The city plans to build a digital data system, maps of pho restaurants, heritage introduction platforms in the digital environment, and at the same time organize sketch contests, beautiful photos, videos about pho, and build a heritage identity.
If UNESCO recognizes it, pho will become the first culinary heritage of Vietnam to be named in the list. At the same time, this is an opportunity for pho to become a national cultural brand, contributing to enhancing the attractiveness of Vietnamese tourism and expanding the development space for the cultural industry in the culinary field.
Strategy to supplement UNESCO-recognized heritages
In the Decision approving the Foreign Culture Strategy to 2030, vision to 2045 signed by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra recently, the Government sets out the goal for the period 2026 - 2030, expanding and improving the effectiveness of international cooperation on culture with countries, territories, cultural organizations, agencies, economic groups, cultural industries in the region and in the world, creating new development momentum for cultural and cultural industries, focusing on strengths such as cinema, performing arts, cultural tourism, heritage...
In particular, the Decision requires: "Having at least 5 more heritages and titles recognized and registered by international organizations (UNESCO and other specialized organizations); striving to build at least 10 cultural and heritage tourism destinations into national brands with global competitiveness and international recognition; establishing 1 to 3 new Vietnamese Cultural Centers abroad in strategic areas".
By 2045, continue to establish Vietnamese Cultural Centers abroad in strategically comprehensive partner areas according to the foreign affairs requirements of the Party and State, at least 5 more centers; have 15 more heritages and titles recognized and registered by international organizations (UNESCO and other specialized organizations); strive to bring Vietnam into the top 3 ASEAN regions and top 30 in the world in terms of the country's Soft Power Index.
Since Hue royal court Nha Nhac - the first cultural heritage of Vietnam to be recognized by UNESCO in 2003, it can be seen that being recognized by UNESCO is a process that requires great care and effort. To have 5 heritages recognized in the period 2026 - 2030, there needs to be active preparation right now. Especially the digitalization process to make culture - including the heritage system - a development resource for the cultural industry.
