The bell tower now stands alongside the drum tower as a prominent feature within the site’s landscape. Both structures represent the contribution of local artisans and traditional craft villages to the preservation of cultural heritage.

Their restoration reflects a broader effort to maintain the integrity of historical artefacts and to recognise the enduring value of Vietnamese craftsmanship.

The central sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2010. It is closely linked to the thousand-year history of the capital and serves as a repository of national memory and cultural identity, including the legacy of traditional craft communities.

In the same year, during the celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi, the Hanoi Handicraft and Village Association donated three artefacts to the site: a large drum, a gong and a bell. Over time, exposure to severe weather and natural wear led to damage on the drum’s surface and to its structure, as well as significant deterioration of the bell tower.

To address this, the association and the Heritage Conservation Centre collaborated on a restoration project aimed at preserving the original scale and design of the artefacts.

With support from association members, skilled artisans and local businesses, the project was completed and the bell tower has now been returned to the site.

Workshop spotlights history of excavation of Thang Long Citadel

A workshop on the history of excavation of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel was held by the French Cultural Centre (L'espace) and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS)’s Institute of Archaeology in Hanoi on December 12.