On 21 June 2013, at two World Heritage sites, My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An Ancient Town – Quang Nam Province, Panasonic Vietnam in cooperation with UNESCO Hanoi Office organized the Eco Learning Program on UNESCO World Heritage for secondary students in Vietnam, and other many joint events such as Art contest, media training seminar for video shooting to support the world heritage administration activities.

Representatives from government authorities of Quang Nam province, Heritage site management board, department of Education and Training as well as UNESCO Hanoi Office, over 130 teachers and students of secondary schools in Hoi An city, Duy Xuyen commune and Hanoi Capital.

In the morning, students joined in a tour to discover the Outstanding Universal Value of My Son Sanctuary, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1999. My Son Sanctuary located in a small valley with a natural spring surrounded by mountains. Eight groups of 71 standing monuments remain at the site, built throughout the 7th to 13th centuries in fired brick with stone pillars and decorated with scenes depicting Hindu Mythology.

The student are learning about the architectural design of the sanctuary

They have learned about the architectural design of the sanctuary, Cham ornamentation and iconography. Although the subject-matter of Cham ornamentation is drawn mostly from Hinduism, some sculptural work reflect the legendary themes more typical of Javanese or Khmer Art. After discovering the historical and architectural value of the heritage site, students further learned about the cultural of ancient Champa Kingdom by enjoying traditional performance of Cham people.

The students participated in this program

Later on in the afternoon, in the Ancient Town of Hoi An, the “living heritage” that still preserved traditional lifestyle as in 19th century, children were given a lecture in the “UNESCO World Heritage Eco Learning Program” provided by Panasonic Vietnam learning about World Heritage sites and impact of global climate change on these humanity’s treasures.

The students aggressively participated in the lecture and team competition

They are aggressively participated in the lecture and team competition, regardless the differences in ages, area of living and grades because now they all have the same concern about preserving world heritages, environment and willing to make a better future.

In parallel to the Eco Learning program, Panasonic also conducted a special global program - "Media training" for 15 young conservation staffs from My Son and Hoi An heritage management board. The program aims at building capability of My Son and Hoi An heritage site management boards in photography and editing technical skills promoting global activities of World Heritage Volunteer program. The program collects data with a view to preserving World Heritage sites and the importance of leaving this behind in the form of visual images for the next generation

Celebrate Art contest winners with UNESCO Ms. Irina Bokova of UNESCO General Director

Beside of those events in Eco learning program, both Panasonic Vietnam and UNESCO Hanoi office have been promoting to enhance collaboration activities in not only World Heritage Eco Learning program but also many joint programs as “Heritage in your hand” Art contest to support next generation and World Heritage conservation aims. In the evening of the day, with the attendance of Ms. Irina Bokova – General Director of UNESCO and Ms Katherine Muller-Marin – General Director of UNESCO Hanoi office, the award ceremony “Heritage in your hand” was organized to celebrate the winners in the framework of Quang Nam Festival “2013 Heritage Tour”.

Under the renewed partnership contract between UNESCO and Panasonic Corporation, Panasonic Vietnam is going to enhance further relationship with UNESCO Hanoi office to contribute for the next generation together by various activities to support world heritage conservation program in Vietnam.