Hoi An, Da Lat join UNESCO Creative Cities Network

According to UNESCO’s announcement on October 31 on the occasion of World Cities Day, two cities of Vietnam along with 53 cities worldwide have joined the UCCN after the designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

In particular, the ancient city of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam, and Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have been named in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in terms of music, and crafts and folk art, respectively.

UNESCO affirmed that, new cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning.

With the latest additions, the Network now counts 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

Newly designated cities will cooperate with Network members to strengthen their resilience the face of evolving threats such as climate change, rising inequality, as well as rapid urbanization, with 68% of the world’s population projected to live in urban areas by 2050.

“The cities in our Creative Cities Network are leading the way when it comes to enhancing access to culture and galvanizing the power of creativity for urban resilience and development,” says Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.

Covering 60 sq.km. and having a population of less than 150,000, Hoi An has long been known for its ancient quarters, a world heritage site, with a typical architectural heritage complex. Hoi An is home to a large number of traditional craft villages, including more than 100 in its ancient quarters alone such as silk and leather product making, tailoring, embroidery, woodcarving, and pottery. 

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. 

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