HCM CITY — HCM City plans to allocate more than VNĐ6 trillion (US$233.2 million) from its budget for the preservation and restoration of historical and cultural relics ​​for the 2026–2030 period.

As part of its plan to implement Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on the development of Vietnamese culture, the city has set a target of inscribing three to five intangible cultural heritages on the national list by 2030.

It will develop plans for the management, protection, and promotion of the value of 50-70 per cent of the inscribed heritage sites.

Regarding tangible cultural heritage, the city will conduct research to propose special national and national relic status for sites of outstanding value.

By 2030, it strives to rank 70 structures and sites on its list as historical and cultural relics, compile dossiers to propose national relic status for five municipal-level relics, and nominate two national-level relics for special national relic status.

The city is also carrying out procedures to nominate the Củ Chi Tunnels for UNESCO World Heritage recognition.

It aims to complete the preservation, restoration, and embellishment of 100 per cent of special national relics, and at least 70 per cent of degraded national and municipal-level relics by 2030.

It will develop preservation and restoration master plans tailored to special national relics, and organise archaeological exploration and excavation in accordance with the Law on Cultural Heritage.

It will also formulate preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation master plans for special national relics, as well as organise archaeological exploration and excavation in accordance with regulations.

For documentary heritage, the goal is to have one to two items included in the national register by 2030.

Museums will also receive investment for new construction, renovation, and expansion projects.

The city will further promote the application of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation in the cultural heritage, alongside training and improving the quality of human resources and expanding international cooperation.

To address bottlenecks and challenges in preserving and promoting heritage values, the city Department of Culture and Sports has proposed three key groups of solutions focusing on financial resources, restoration mechanisms, and clearly defining the responsibilities of entities involved in heritage management and protection.

The city prioritises allocating State budget funds to preserve, restore, and embellish relics of historical and cultural value, particularly those that are degraded or at risk of encroachment.

In the medium-term public investment plan for the 2026–2030 period, the city will spend more than VNĐ6 trillion (US$233.2 million) on the preservation and restoration of the historical and cultural relics.

In addition, the city will encourage contributions from businesses, organisations, and individuals through sponsorships, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and other legally compliant mechanisms.

State management agencies are responsible for policy advisory, planning orientation, professional guidance, appraisal, and supervision of preservation efforts.

Local authorities and relic management units are tasked with protecting the current status, organising preservation activities, and promptly proposing repair, restoration, and value-promotion plans. —VNS