To develop the heritage economy and prevent heritage from being overexploited to the point of disappearing, we must consider preservation before promoting the value of heritage.
Quang Ninh possesses a vast treasure trove of cultural heritage. Among these, the maritime and island cultural heritage of the Northeast region, which emerged very early in the nation's cultural history (with the Ha Long, Cai Beo, and Soi Nhu cultural sites), still retains its own vitality, enduring and adapting to new development conditions. The geographical location, history, and the way of life of generations of Quang Ninh people have shaped a rich and diverse system of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, giving it a very unique cultural character.
Quang Ninh boasts many unique scenic spots, including the world natural wonder Ha Long Bay, Yen Tu - where Emperor Tran Nhan Tong practiced asceticism and attained Buddhahood, the birthplace of the Truc Lam Zen sect, along with a system of hundreds of temples, pagodas, hermitages, and towers in Hai Duong and Bac Giang provinces, part of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac heritage complex, which is currently being nominated for World Heritage status. In total, Quang Ninh has 635 historical and cultural relics and scenic spots, including 8 special national relic sites; 13 national treasures, 362 inventoried intangible cultural heritage items, and 15 national intangible cultural heritage items.
Despite its significant achievements, Quang Ninh faces numerous challenges, such as: the continuous and indiscriminate exploitation of natural heritage values; the transformation of traditional livelihoods lacking selectivity, preservation, and rational development; the disappearance of many industrial heritage sites from the French colonial coal industry; the decline of some traditional crafts; and the significant impact of cultural distortions or deviations from cultural norms at some spiritual tourism sites. Traditional lifestyles, customs, and practices have also undergone considerable changes due to rapid urbanization. Furthermore, Quang Ninh lacks attractive mechanisms and policies to strongly promote and attract investment and enhance the social responsibility of businesses and communities towards its heritage resources.
At the scientific conference "Some theoretical and practical issues on promoting new growth drivers - a perspective from the practical development of heritage economy in Quang Ninh province," organized by the Editorial Board of the Communist Magazine, the Central Theoretical Council, and the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee on December 21, 2024, in Van Don, many delegates contributed solutions and recommendations for Quang Ninh in particular, and the whole country in general, to continue developing the heritage economy effectively on the basis of preserving the precious cultural heritage of our ancestors. Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai Chi from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics argues that, in order to maintain the "vitality" of cultural heritage, it is not enough to simply preserve it as it is, allowing cultural heritage to "live" and be honored within the community's own life. First and foremost, it is necessary to strengthen aesthetic education and education on cultural knowledge in general and national cultural heritage in particular, thereby arousing and multiplying passion and awareness of heritage protection among all citizens, especially the younger generation.
At the same time, it is necessary to harmoniously integrate the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values into socio-economic development. Quang Ninh also needs to pay more attention to the preservation of cultural heritage in local planning, approaching the issue holistically and interdisciplinaryly to propose appropriate solutions, creating suitable landscapes for cultural heritage areas, contributing to increasing the value of cultural heritage. To preserve and promote the value of cultural heritage, in addition to State policies, the province needs to continue to pay attention to and have mechanisms and policies to encourage organizations, individuals, non-governmental museums, private collectors, and further motivate artisans in preserving, transmitting, and promoting the value of cultural heritage...
Social resources will participate in funding projects for the restoration and beautification of the heritage site's environmental landscape; guiding the spatial development of the heritage area, completing the necessary infrastructure and facilities to serve tourism, connecting tourist areas and destinations while promoting traditional tangible and intangible cultural values, rich in national identity, and bearing the imprint of the nation's historical process. For example, the experience of attracting investment to the Yen Tu historical and scenic site, associated with the cultural and architectural imprint of Buddhism during the Tran Dynasty, notably the Legacy Yen Tu project.
According to Dr. Mai Chi, it is necessary to identify, count, and invest in preservation, striving to discover unique and distinctive features; otherwise, heritage sites not only risk fading away but may also disappear forever. Therefore, the province needs to develop and issue a plan for the system of historical sites with a vision to 2030 and a long-term vision to 2050. Furthermore, it is necessary to plan spiritual tourism routes, cultural and historical experiential tourism combined with high-class resort tourism, in a way that strengthens regional linkages, integrates them into development plans, and promotes the value of medieval cultural heritage along the Van Don - Ha Long - Quang Yen - Uong Bi - Dong Trieu axis.
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