The Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a conference March 22 to lay out plans for building a time capsule to be opened by future generations in the next millennium.
The project, titled “Sending to the next generations,” aims to mark the grand celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in October.
The capsule will contain 1,000 objects, chosen by the Government and citizens, which represent the current zeitgeist.
Accordingly, the government will choose 63 items that are typical of 63 cities and provinces nationwide. The remaining objects will be chosen by the people.
Submissions must feature the Vietnamese people, culture, science and technology as related to the country, as well as reflect the development of contemporary society.
The items may be famous products, photos, articles related to extraordinary events, or objects that highlight the country’s scientific and technological development, said Nguyen Khac Loi, deputy director of Hanoi’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The time capsule will be buried underground with a series of stones in the shape of a lotus above, covering an area of 1,000 square meters. Construction of the area will kick off on October 9, said Director of the Hanoi Cultural Fund Vu Phuong.
The lotus comprises 62 stones representing flower petals and symbolizing the country’s 62 cities and provinces.
The local government will hold a ceremony on October 10 to begin marking off the next 999 years annually by inscribing the date on a new stone above the capsule.
The bell-shaped time capsule is made of steel and has a diameter of 2 meters and height of just over 3 meters. Inside are four steel barrels, which will help protect the items over time.
Since the idea for the project was first launched in 2008, however, the time capsule’s organization board has not received any items from cities or provinces, including the organizer Hanoi.
