Party Politburo member Nguyen Xuan Thang speaks at the ceremony marking UNESCO’s recognition of the Complex of Hue Monuments and nha nhac, June 17, 2023.

The Complex of Hue Monuments was recognised as a World Cultural Heritage on December 11, 1993, and the royal court music won the recognition on November 7, 2003.

Thua Thien-Hue is the only province in Vietnam and Southeast Asia to have five UNESCO-recognised cultural heritages, said Party Politburo Nguyen Xuan Thang. They are the Complex of Hue Monuments, nha nhac, woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty, documents of the Nguyen Dynasty, and royal literature on Hue Royal Architecture. 

Hue has been hailed by UNESCO as the leading Vietnamese locality in terms of heritage preservation, which has made it a model centre for technological heritage transfer in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

The Complex of Hue Monuments consists of royal palaces and associated monuments including the tombs of the Nguyen kings and a string of temples, pagodas, and other spiritual sites.

Nha nhac refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It was generally featured at the opening and closing of ceremonies associated with anniversaries, religious holidays, coronations, funerals and official receptions.

“Vietnam royal court music has the meaning of ‘refined music’. Among various kinds of music developed in Vietnam, only nha nhac is considered the national music,” according to the UNESCO Council’s evaluation.