The dismantling of 40 bunkers, watchtowers, bunkers and old military structures in the Hue Citadel area is a way of dealing with heritage with respect and responsibility.
Military structures built during the war period once played a certain role in a historical period, but when they have run out of function, deteriorated and distorted the heritage space, dismantling is necessary to restore the original appearance to the ancient capital.
However, heritage preservation is not just about dismantling works that are no longer suitable.
A sad reality is that many relics are still being encroached upon by a part of visitors themselves.
It is not difficult to encounter words engraved with names, graffiti on city walls, flagpoles, on steles, in tombs or temple areas.
Some people freely climb on artifacts, sit on cannons to take pictures. Some people leave scribbled marks with the thought that it is just a harmless act.
But each of those strokes is a wound on the heritage.
A line of painted writing can be erased, but the scratches carved on stone and ancient wood are often not restored to their original state.
It is regrettable that these acts take place not only in Hue but also in many relics across the country.
Heritage preservation cannot be just the responsibility of management agencies.
No matter how large the budget is, no matter how many restoration projects there are, it cannot be compensated if community awareness is not raised.
A city wall takes hundreds of years to survive, but just a few minutes of carelessness or unconsciousness can cause damage.
Therefore, along with investing in preservation, it is necessary to strengthen cultural and behavioral education at relics.
Schools, families and society need to help the younger generation understand that heritage is not a place to mark their names.
Management agencies also need to be more resolute with acts of infringing on heritage. Cases of intentionally writing, drawing, and destroying artifacts need to be strictly handled to create deterrence.
Hue is gradually restoring the inherent values of the Citadel. The dismantling of bunkers is a welcome sign, showing the determination to restore the original space to the heritage.
Inheritance is property handed over by our ancestors and we have the responsibility to hand it over intact to future generations.
