An international consultation workshop was held on June 8 to help compile a dossier seeking membership of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, in the field of music.

The international consultation workshop on June 8 (Photo: VNA)

The hybrid event, held by the Da Lat People’s Committee, the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, was attended by 150 Vietnamese and international delegates.

It gave an insight into the goal, role, and principles of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, shared dossier compilation experiences of other countries, and presented the draft dossier of Da Lat.

Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Da Lat should take into account people’s opinions while building a plan on joining the network. It also needs to step up training and nurturing creative communities so as to promote initiatives about music, dance, and arts among local students and young people.

Located on Lam Vien Plateau at an altitude of 1,500m above the sea level, Da Lat, a popular tourist attraction, spans 394sq.km, and has a population of about 260,000 from many ethnic groups.

The city is home to the cultural space of the gongs in the Central Highlands, recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in November 2005. It is also linked with many famous musicians and singers of Vietnam such as Trinh Cong Son, Le Uyen Phuong, Khanh Ly, and Pham Duy.

UNESCO launched the Creative Cities Network in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities that recognise creativity as a significant factor of their development. The network recognises seven factors – craft and folk arts, media, film, design, gastronomy, literature, and music – as creative fields.

As of 2023, 301 cities around the world have become members of this network, including 61 cities in the field of music.

In Vietnam, Hanoi was the first city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, in 2019.

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