Gửi bình luận
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong, has solemnly held a ceremony to receive UNESCO’s certificate recognizing the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex as a World Cultural Heritage site.
A ceremony was held at the Truc Lam Cultural Center in the Yen Tu relic and scenic complex, Quang Ninh province on the evening of December 20 to receive a certificate from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribing the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex of monuments and scenic landscapes on the World Cultural Heritage List.
The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh, UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam Jonathan Baker, representatives of foreign embassies, and leaders of ministries, Central agencies, and the localities involved.
UNESCO recognized the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex as a World Cultural Heritage site for its outstanding universal value at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee held in France on July 12.
The recognition affirms the site’s outstanding universal value as a distinctive cultural, historical and spiritual space closely associated with the Truc Lam Zen sect, a uniquely Vietnamese school of Buddhism founded by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong.
.jpg)
To achieve the World Cultural Heritage status, the three localities undertook a rigorous, methodical and long-term preparation of a comprehensive scientific dossier. The dossier covers a vast research scope, with the heritage space stretching across multiple localities and featuring complex terrain with mountains, rivers and streams, while encompassing multiple layers of historical, cultural and religious values closely linked to the formation and development of Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism throughout Vietnamese history. The preparation process lasted 13 years and involved a massive workload, including thousands of pages of scientific documentation and hundreds of conferences, seminars and academic exchanges held domestically and internationally.
UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam Jonathan Baker stressed that the inscription not only honors the past but also opens a meaningful shared journey. It is a call for responsible action to safeguard the heritage for future generations. UNESCO stands ready to accompany Vietnam by providing technical guidance and promoting dialogue to enhance the effectiveness of inter-provincial management, while balancing tourism development and encouraging the participation of local communities in conservation efforts.
Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh emphasized that the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex is an interconnected and unified heritage space that fully reflects the formation, development and dissemination of a distinctive Vietnamese cultural and spiritual value system. It represents a harmonious convergence of tangible and intangible heritage and of natural landscapes, architecture, history and the nation’s religious and spiritual life.
Regarding the continued protection and promotion of the heritage’s values, particularly its outstanding universal value, Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Government is committed to strictly safeguarding the integrity, authenticity and outstanding universal value of the heritage in line with UNESCO criteria and recommendations; implementing comprehensive, inter-sectoral and inter-regional management; and ensuring harmony between heritage conservation, environmental protection and sustainable socio-economic development.
The Deputy Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of promoting the role of local communities, religious organizations and cultural stakeholders in preserving and transmitting heritage values.
At the same time, heritage conservation should be linked with responsible and sustainable cultural tourism development, contributing to the continuous improvement of people’s material and spiritual well-being. Efforts will continue to refine institutions and policies, enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of State management of heritage, and encourage close coordination among localities within the heritage area, first Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong, to proactively and creatively protect and promote heritage values.
On behalf of the heritage localities, Chairman of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee Bui Van Khang expressed gratitude for the close attention and direction from the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government.
Khang affirmed that Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong are deeply aware that this recognition is both an honor and a major responsibility. The localities will seriously absorb and concretize the comprehensive guidance provided by Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh at the ceremony, as well as key tasks and solutions directly instructed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the program announcing the outstanding universal value of the heritage in August 2025. They will strengthen responsibility in managing the heritage in accordance with law and the World Heritage Convention, ensuring both the preservation of integrity and creative, harmonious promotion in the context of sustainable development, transforming traditional values into strong internal resources that contribute to building an advanced culture imbued with national identity and serving as a driving force for national development in a new era.
The ceremony took place in a solemn atmosphere and was linked to a series of activities commemorating the 717th anniversary of the passing of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, as well as the Yen Tu Festival themed “Heritage Journey – World Essence,” attracting large numbers of Buddhists and the public.
HOANG QUYNH – PHAM TANG
