Symposium programme

A. Date
25 April - 2 May 2000

B. Location
1. Complex of Hue Monuments World Heritage Site
2. Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage Site

C. Organizers and Coordinators
1. Arch. Phung Phu Deputy Director, Hue Monuments Conservation Centre
2. Mr. Vu Huu Minh Technical Department, Hue Monuments Conservation Centre
3. Mr. Ho Tan Cuong Director, Hoi An Centre for Monuments Management and Preservation
4. Mr. Andrew Powter Secretary General, ICOMOS International Wood Committee
5. Mr. David Michelmore President, ICOMOS International Wood Committee

D. Programme

1.	25 April 2000
	08.10	Arrive at Hue Airport from Hanoi
	09.00	Welcoming guests and participants at Dong Da Hotel, 15 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hue City Tel. 84 54 823071, Fax. 84 54 823204. - Introduction to Hue and Hoi An and the conservation of timber monuments in central Vietnam David Michelmore, President, IWC
	12.00 - 14.00	Lunch
	14.00 - 17.30	Visit to the tomb complexes of Emperors Tu Duc, Thieu Tri and Dong Khanh to view recent conservation projects and conservation problems. Presentation of paper by international participant on timber conservation issues.
	18.30	Dinner and free evening in Hue.
2.	26 April 2000
	08.00	Pick up at the hotel (by bus)
	08.30	Welcome and registration at the Huu Vu Building, Hue Imperial City.
	09.00 - 12.30	Inauguration of the Symposium: - Welcoming address by the Chairman of Thua Thien-Hue Provincial PeopleŐs Committee. - Reply by ICOMOS representative. - Address by the Director, Hue Monuments Conservation Centre. - Introduction to The conservation programme of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre.
	12.30 - 14.00	Lunch
	14.00 - 17.30	Presentation on Hue conservation projects, including visits to recent and current conservation projects in Hue Imperial City - e.g. Pavilion of Radiant Benevolence from on High, Temple for Worshipping the Nguyen Emperors, Queen MotherŐs Palace, EmperorŐs GrandmotherŐs Palace, etc. Presentation of paper by international participant on timber conservation issues.
	18.30	Dinner hosted by the Chairman of Thua Thien-Hue Provincial PeopleŐs Committee. (venue to be announced)
3.	27 April 2000
	08.00	Pick up at the hotel (by bus)
	08.30 - 12.30	Further on-site reports on current conservation projects and conservation problems in Hue Imperial City e.g. - Five Phoenix Pavilion, etc., and visit to the workshop and kiln producing replica roof and floor tiles for conservation projects. Presentation of paper by international participant on timber conservation issues.
	12.30 - 13.30	Lunch
	13.30 - 14.00	Travel to the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang (by bus and boat)
	14.00 - 17.30	On-site report on current conservation projects at the Minh Mang tomb complex.
	17.30	Return to the city by boat on the Perfume River, passing the Hon Chen Temple, the Temple of Letters and the Thien Mu Pagoda. - Dinner and performance of traditional music on the boat.
4.	28 April 2000
	08.00	Pick up at the hotel (by bus)
	08.30 - 12.00	On site report, Protection of the environment and natural landscape associated with cultural heritage. Visit to Hue heritage and traditional timber houses.
	12.00 - 14.00	Lunch in the city.
	14.00 - 17.30	On site report (continued). Presentation of paper by international participant on timber conservation issues.
	18.30	Dinner hosted by ICOMOS (venue to be announced)
5.	29 April 2000
	07.45	Pick up at the hotel by bus to leave for Hoi An. - Arrive Lang Co Beach to visit dish kilns burning shell lime.
	11.30 - 13.00	Lunch and break at Lang CO beach.
	13.00	Continue journey to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass and fort and the Marble Mountains.
	17.00	Arrive at the Thanh Binh Hotel, 1 Le Loi Street, Hoi An Tel. 84 510 861740; 862246
	18.00	Dinner in Hoi An Ancient Town (venue to be announced)
6.	30 April 2000
	09.00	Introduction to the conservation programme of the Hoi An Centre for Monuments Management and Preservation and the management strategy for Hoi An Ancient Town.
	10.00 - 12.30	On-site presentation of conservation projects in Hoi An and visit on foot to traditional timber houses, Chinese assembly halls, ancestor-worshipping halls, covered bridge, etc.
	12.30 - 14.00	Lunch in Hoi An Ancient Town.
	14.00 - 16.00	On site presentations (continued).
	16.00 - 17.30	General Meeting of the ICOMOS International Wood Committee
	18.00	Dinner in Hoi An Ancient Town (venue to be announced)
7.	1 May 2000
	09.00	Depart by boat on the Thu Bon River to An Hoi Island to visit boat-building yards to inspect the construction of wooden fishing junks by traditional methods. - Visit by boat to Cam Ha pottery village to see women potters at work and the production of bricks and tiles in traditional clamp kilns.
	12.30 - 1400	Lunch.
	14.00 - 17.00	Visit by boat to Cam Kim woodcarving island to see traditional boats being constructed with planks secured by trenails and the woodcarving training workshop.
	18.00	Dinner in Hoi An Ancient Town (venue to be announced)
8.	2 May 2000
	07.45	Pick up from hotel (by bus) for Danang International Airport (journey time 50 minutes)
	10.10	Leave Danang by air for Hanoi.

E. Note on the Symposium Venue 1. Hue, imperial capital of Vietnam
Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the rule of the Nguyen dynasty - the last Emperor, Bao Dai, died in exile during the last decade. Hue is probably the most perfect surviving example of a city laid out according to the principles of feng shui. The citadel, strongly fortified according to a design derived from Vauban, is fronted by the Perfume River, facing a hill on the opposite bank. Behind the citadel, which encloses the Imperial and Forbidden Cities, can be seen more distant mountains. Sweet-scented petals falling from flowering trees in the mountains are said to give the Perfume River its name. The walled city contains many monuments, despite the destruction caused by fighting between nationalists and the French in 1947 and to a lesser extent the Tet Offensive of 1968. The countryside outside the walls is full of monuments, including the imperial tombs (which include many timber buildings), but there are many other structures in addition, including an arena where battles were held between elephants and tigers. Some of these sites will be visited by boat. The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre has an extensive restoration programme. Hue was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993.

2. Hoi, An Historic Port
Situated on the Thu Bon River, Hoi An was important from the late Middle Ages, when a marriage between the Champa and the Vietnamese royal families brought Quang Nam province under Vietnamese rule. As a result of the silting of the river, Hoi An is now only a fishing port, but used to be one of the most important centres of trade in South East Asia, with ships from China, Japan, England, Holland and Portugal tying up at its quay. The streets are lined with a mixture of Chinese-style shophouses and Vietnamese-style aisled halls. The commitment of the Municipality and excellent conservation planning by the Hoi An Centre for Monuments Preservation and Management ensure that Hoi An is the best managed historic town in Asia. An imaginative, coordinated, system for charging entrance fees to different classes of monuments - the 17th-century covered bridge, Chinese assembly halls, museums and the private houses or ancestor-worshipping halls - funds a programme which provides grants of up to 80% of the cost of repairing of private buildings. Participants will be able to visit current conservation projects and assess differences in practice between Hue and Hoi An, as well as visiting the carpentry island, where wooden junks are made by traditional methods. As the only preserved historic town in Vietnam, Hoi An was inscribed on the World Heritage List in December 1999.

F. General Background
Travel between Hue and Hoi An will be by road, through a spectacular scenery of mountains, lagoons and long, empty, beaches of white sand. Vietnam has a relaxed atmosphere, with charming and friendly people.

The Symposium offers participants a unique occasion to evaluate many different conservation projects and problems and discuss appropriate solutions, whether relevant to Vietnam or to a wider international conservation scene. It will also provide an opportunity to see a very beautiful and interesting country in the company of the best informed local experts. The most convenient form of currency to take is US dollars in small-denomination notes.

G. Travel Notes

Suggested internal flight schedule, travelingvia Hanoi:

Date	From	To	Flight	Depart	Arrive
25.04.00	Hanoi	Hue	VN247	06.30	08.10
02.05.00	Danang	Hanoi	VN310	10.10	11.20

In addition, Hue and Danang are connected by air withHo Chi Minh City (Saigon). Flight times to Hanoi and Saigon are similar, as Hue and Hoi An are situated in the middle.

Please note, however, that there is now a direct flight by Thai International Airways from Bangkok toDanang on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving Bangkok (Flight TG688) at 08.30 and arriving at Danang at 10.30. The return flight (TG689) leaves Danang at 11.10 and arrives in Bangkok at 12.45. Participants may find travel via Danang convenient, but it would involve a journey by road from Danang to Hue for the start of the Symposium. This takes 2-3 hours. The taxi fare would be relatively inexpensive and, if several participants are using this route, a taxi could be shared. The International Wood Committee hopes to make arrangements to meet the Danang flight, if any Symposium participants intend to use that route.

Please inform the Secretariat of your intended flight schedule.

H. Registration
The all-inclusive cost of the Symposium, from arrival in Hue until departure from Danang, is US$ 600.00. This includes hotels (7 nights), meals, travel within Hue and Hoi An and between the two sites by but and boat, cultural entertainment and conference facilities. Breakfast will not be provided in Hoi An, but there are numerous inexpensive cafÄs within a few minutes walk of the Thanh Binh Hotel. Air travel between Hanoi and Hue and Danang and Hanoi is not included.

Payment of the Symposium fee:
To register for the Symposium, send as a deposit a US dollar certified cheque (personal cheques are acceptable), money order or banker's draft for US$ 150 payable to Andrew Powter to:
Andrew Powter
Secretary General, ICOMOS International Wood Committee
80 Elm Street, Apartment No. 2
Ottawa
Canada K1R 6N3

Thebalance of the conference fee, US$ 450, should be brought in cash
in US dollars to Vietnamand paid to the Secretary General on arrival.