All 63 provinces and cities will contribute a single object each to the 1,000 ones that the time capsule will eventually hold. Apart from objects representing each province and city, the remaining 937 items which represent the country’s cultural characteristics and technological level will be selected by people nationwide.

Objects selected for the time capsule include typical items used in daily life and stored in the 1,000 litre air-tight container, for future generation to know more about life today. The container is made of stainless steel.

The objects selected by cities and provinces will be typical of the regions they originate from, summarising the culture, technological level and lives of people living there. The objects can be simple, everyday items such as the labels of famous products, magazines or newspapers showing current events and current trends photographs, coins or indicators of high technology such as DVDs and cell phones giving future generation a profound insight into current life.

The container will be buried in the grounds of Hanoi Museum on Pham Hung Street, Hanoi in September. On this site will be a lotus shape monument symbolising the splendour and purity of the Vietnamese people, said Vu Phuong, Vice Chairman of Hanoi Culture Fund.

He first came across the novel idea to preserve items for future generations while visiting Seoul, the capital city of the Republic of Korea. Researchers and authorities from Seoul will help design and construct the lotus-shape monument as a gift from Seoul to Hanoi.

The organising board will cooperate with 63 provinces and cities to the regionally representative objects and will also call for the public to suggest 937 others.

Suggestion should be sent to the organising board at Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at 47 Hang Dau Street, or by email to qvhhanoi@gmail.com. After consideration, the board will ask the People’s Committee of Hanoi City to establish a board of leading cultural activists, and scientists to select the most meaningful items.

In May, the organising committee will announce the list of selected objects and an exhibition to display all the objects will be held on August 6-15. Placing and sealing the time capsule will take place on August 15.