As Lao Dong reported: The stele "Thanh Duc Than Cong Bi Ky", nearly 2.8 m high, weighing 7 tons in the Khai Dinh communal house stele in the Hue Monuments Complex - a world cultural heritage - was damaged with hundreds of lines of letters and symbols carved with sharp objects.
It reads "Dinh Bao Phuong, 18.7.86, Phu Dong, Gia Lam, Hanoi". The engravings are overlapping with Han on the stele, clearly shown on both sides.
It is worth mentioning that the bearings on the stele "Thanh Duc Than Cong Bi Ky" on Khai Dinh mausoleum are just the latest in a long series of acts of attacks on relics in Hue over the past decades.
Previously, the stele "Khim Cung Ky" - a national treasure at Tu Duc Mausoleum - was engraved with sharp letters; the bell, stone stele and turtle apricot statue at Thien Mu Pagoda were painted with a male drape; the Hue Imperial Citadel's embankment has appeared many times with engraved characters and symbols.
Even Phu Van Lau - the symbol printed on a 50,000 VND bill - was once engraved with his name on the pillars by tourists. More seriously, last May, the throne at Thai Hoa Palace was broken by a man.
A series of repeated incidents show that these are no longer single acts but the manifestation of a systematic loophole in heritage protection.
First of all, this series of incidents shows the reality that the capacity and model of protecting relics of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center is behind the actual requirements.
Currently, many relic sites do not have or lack surveillance cameras; barriers are only half a meter high; thin security forces and rotating; the stele house and display area are often deserted during peak hours.
The second and more profound issue lies in the awareness of the heritage of a group of domestic and foreign tourists. The practice of engraving names, writing words, and leaving messages on stone steles or walls originates from the mentality of "mentoring a mark", but reflects a lack of understanding of cultural values.
A seven-ton stele built for hundreds of years, or a pillar that has witnessed many historical changes, is considered a place to engrave a line of memories.
This also shows a loophole in education when the school, family and cultural communication systems have not yet fulfilled their responsibilities.
Another problem is that communication work on heritage as well as on-site guidance is still quite vague. In many relics in the Hue Monuments Complex, the prohibition signs are very small and hidden; there is almost no information about the historical value of the stele or the structure. If customers do not understand, it is difficult to appreciate; if they do not appreciate, they cannot preserve it and it is easy for the mentality of sabotage to arise.
Finally, the current penalty level is too light, making the violation more likely to recur. According to current law, carving and painting on relics is only fined 13 million VND according to Decree 38. This amount of money is not commensurate with the damaged value, and is not enough to deter in the context of heritage increasingly under great pressure from tourists.
A series of consecutive incidents related to relics in recent times have been an irreparable loss, but it is also an opportunity for Hue to look back on its entire conservation system.
This is the time when a new, stronger, more modern and synchronous strategy is needed: strengthening supervision by technology; standardizing security forces; designing smart barriers; adding multilingual information; and building heritage education to become a part of local culture.
If the changes are not made in time, incidents like the Khai Dinh mausoleum or Thai Hoa palace will continue to recur endlessly.
