Bac Ninh, the land that shines for a thousand years

Looking at the length of history, Bac Ninh is like a living testament of the Vietnamese people through each period of change. Since the beginning, this place has been a densely populated center of ancient Vietnamese people, the cradle of Giao Chi civilization, of the ancient citadel of Luy Lau - the first capital of the country under the yoke of the Northern domination. Dau Pagoda, Si Nhiep tomb, traces of Buddhism and Confucianism first introduced... all are not only relics but also the heart - where the flow of beliefs and thoughts were nurtured and spread, laying the foundation for the later Dai Viet culture.
Bac Ninh - a land where every hamlet name, village name, communal house roof, banyan tree, ferry... are historical witnesses, becoming flesh and blood. There is the sound of Lim festival drums calling spring, there is the lyrical Quan Ho melody, deeply penetrating every alley, creating an intangible cultural heritage honored by UNESCO, but above all, it is the pride deep in the heart of every Kinh Bac child.
The way Bac Ninh exists - both ancient and vibrant - reminds people of a wise old man, telling stories in a warm, slow and erudite voice. It could be the story of Saint Giong - a boy from Phu Dong village who grew into a giant, riding an iron horse to pull bamboo to fight the enemy; the legend of Cao Lo Vuong, the talented craftsman who made the Lien Chau crossbow to help King An Duong Vuong defend Co Loa citadel. Or simply the story of the Confucian scholars and top scholars of the land of learning Bac Ninh - where "talents are like a hundred flowers", where Confucius's gate shines brightly despite going through many historical ups and downs.
Every river, every field, every person here has in them the spirit of learning, the blood of loyalty. Under feudalism, Bac Ninh was the land with the highest number of doctors and first-ranked scholars in the country. Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh, First-ranked scholars Nguyen Quan Quang, Nguyen Thien Tich, Nguyen Cong Hang… were all shining stars in the sky of Dai Viet’s education, bringing glory to their homeland and country.

Vsip Industrial Park is the most modern in the North.

But the people of Bac Ninh do not only sit by the books but also “Wear a sword on your back, write a flower pen in your hand”. When the Fatherland is in danger, the children here are ready to don the warrior uniform. During the two resistance wars against France and the US, Bac Ninh was a staunch rear base, an indomitable front line. Peaceful villages became revolutionary bases, where generations of young people set out, where every inch of land was soaked with blood and tears, every house had the footprints of soldiers, and heard the whispers of ideals.
And it was also here that President Ho Chi Minh visited 18 times - a special number enough to express his affection for Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac. Each time he returned, Uncle Ho not only placed his hopes on a land of learning, but also lit a new fire in the hearts of the people here - the fire of faith and desire for change.
Since the re-establishment of the province in 1997, Bac Ninh has grown up like a young man in the integration period. There are still traditional craft villages bustling with weaving, bronze casting, silver carving... but there have been dozens of modern industrial zones and clusters springing up, gathering large economic groups in the world. There are still hardworking and creative people, but now they are energized by technology, integration thinking and sustainable development strategies.
Widening roads. Factories bustling with the sound of machines. Urban areas rising high in the light… Bac Ninh is on a new journey – a journey of industrialization and modernization, without forgetting its cultural and historical roots. Here, people still meet in village festivals, still indulge in Quan Ho songs, still take their children to pagodas to worship Buddha, ask for spring calligraphy… as a way to preserve cultural roots in the flow of modernity.
Perhaps, what makes Bac Ninh special is the harmony between the past, present and future. Between the moss-covered communal house roof and the skyscraper, between the ancient Quan Ho folk song and the modern chorus of a dynamic, developing land, between the thousand-year-old patriotism and the aspiration to rise up to modernity. That is a delicate balance that not every land has.
Bac Ninh - a land of spiritual convergence, where people not only live in the present but also live with memories and dreams. From a small countryside along the Duong and Cau rivers, Bac Ninh has been writing a new chapter: Becoming a developed, civilized, and unique industrial province, worthy of being an investment destination, a livable and proud place.

Essays by Vu Thang

Source: https://baobacninh.vn/bac-ninh-mien-at-toa-sang-ngan-nam-97246.html