Toulouse opens new venue to display artifacts from Thang Long Citadel

An exhibition space will be set up in Toulouse, France, to promote the value of artifacts and the Thang Long Imperial Citadel to local people and visitors, according to Nguyen Hong Chi, deputy director of the Thang Long Heritage Conservation Center,

Delegates take a group photo at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel on September 23. Photo: Thang Long Heritage Conservation Center.

The idea is part of a series of joint activities between Hanoi and Toulouse in heritage conservation, Chi said, adding that the space, the second in France, will be open to the public in November and will attract more international visitors to Hanoi, especially French ones.

In heritage preservation, the center has been working with agencies in Ile-de-France since 2013 and opened a similar space in the medieval city of Provins, she said at a seminar on September 23.

"The space will be open until 2025," she said.

"At the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the imprints of French architecture and culture have remained for years," she said, referring to the long relationship between Vietnam and France.

"We plan to set up a museum of the Thang Long Forbidden City with an area of 2,000m2. The museum will display all the objects, evidence, and materials related to the imperial citadel, which was the political center of Vietnam from the 11th to 18th centuries."

Chi said that since its establishment, the center has launched interesting tourism products for visitors. In 2019, the number of foreign visitors to the imperial city accounted for 55% of the total. Since the Covid-19 pandemic was brought under control, the ratio recovered to 30% in January-August 2023.

The deputy director also expected to strengthen partnerships with French authorities, agencies and enterprises, especially in Toulouse and Ile-de-France, through the Vietnam-France Friendship Association.

Le Ba Dung, vice chairman of the Hanoi Tourism Association, said more French people are looking for tours in Vietnam, and France is an important source market for the Southeast Asian country.

"The number of French visitors to Vietnam and Hanoi is not commensurate with the potential. There must be better solutions to attract them," he said.

The vice chairman hinted at some key solutions, including visa approval, improving product and service quality, and encouraging businesses and agencies to adopt digital and social platforms for better performance.

Le Thuy Nhung, representative of tourism company Vietravel - Hanoi Office, said the long-standing relationship between the two nations is key to attracting French visitors to Vietnam.

"Travel between Vietnam and France is not only about flying from one country to another, but also about experiencing cultural features, cuisine, natural landscapes and historical stories," she said.

"This will create a better future in which travelers from both nations will strengthen ties and understanding between Vietnam and France," Nhung said.

The seminar was organized by the Vietnam-France Friendship Association at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Relic in Hanoi. It is one of the activities celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France and 10 years of strategic partnership between the two nations.