Protect and promote the value of historical and cultural relics

Compared to the whole country, Ha Nam is a province with many historical, cultural relics, scenic spots, diverse in types, rich in content and containing many unique values. In recent years, implementing the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws on preserving and promoting the value of relics, on the basis of the Law on Cultural Heritage, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (VH,TT&DL) has organized many specialized activities, including ranking relics, preserving, repairing and restoring relics; protecting relics and antiquities; socializing the restoration and embellishment of relics to effectively promote the values of relics.

According to the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage and the Regulations on ranking provincial-level relics, in recent years, the compilation of scientific dossiers to rank historical and cultural relics has received attention from local Party committees and authorities. The number of ranked relics has increased rapidly, with an average of 5-7 provincial-level relics and 1-2 national-level relics being ranked each year. By the end of September 2023, Ha Nam had 230 ranked relics, including 2 national relics ranked by the Prime Minister as Special National Monuments (Doi Son Pagoda and Tran Thuong Temple), 95 national-level relics and 133 provincial-level relics.

With the attention of the State, in recent years, Ha Nam province has deployed, allocated and effectively used investment capital from the state budget for the restoration and embellishment of relics. From 2009 to August 2023, the whole province has nearly 80 relics and relic clusters preserved, restored and renovated with capital from the National Target Program. Of which, 11 relics have been majorly renovated, including: Doi Son Pagoda, Nguyen Khuyen Temple, Vi Ha Communal House, Dong Du Trung Communal House, Tran Thuong Temple, Van Xa Communal House, Hoa Ngai Communal House, An Hoa Communal House, Que Lam Pagoda, Truc Temple, and Ba Danh Pagoda.

Protect and promote the value of historical and cultural relics — **Tran Thuong Temple special national relic.** Photo: Binh Nguyen

In addition to funding from the National Target Program, Ha Nam province has paid attention to investing funds for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of relics. In 2016, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1379/QD-UBND dated September 12, 2016, along with the Project on preventing degradation, restoration and embellishment of provincial-level relics in the period of 2016 - 2020; in 2021, issued the Program on Preservation and Promotion of the Value of Historical and Cultural Relics in Ha Nam Province, period 2021 - 2025. Up to now, the whole province has 62 relics and relic clusters ranked at the provincial level invested by the provincial budget. Along with the State's support capital, localities in the province have mobilized hundreds of billions of VND from the people and social organizations to contribute to the restoration and rehabilitation of relics. According to preliminary statistics from localities, each year, local people and social organizations inside and outside the province donate 20-30 billion VND to renovate and embellish relics. Many relics have received investment from high socialized sources, such as: Thach To Pagoda, Bao Cuu Pagoda, Hong Phu Communal House, Do Xa Pagoda, Lat Son Communal House (Phu Ly City); Ngo Communal House, Thuong Vy Communal House, Giang Pagoda (Ly Nhan); Tu Pagoda, Ba Xa Temple, Cua Rung Temple, Giong Lo Cave (Thanh Liem); An Bai Communal House, Dai Phu Communal House, Hung Long Pagoda, Diem Pagoda, Dai Minh Pagoda (Binh Luc); Hoan Duong Communal House, Yen Tu Temple, Lanh Giang Temple (Duy Tien Town)...

Large-scale relics, typical of history, architecture and art, such as: Doi Son Pagoda; Ba Danh Pagoda - Ngoc Mountain; Tran Thuong Temple; Lanh Giang, Ba Vu Temple, Truc Temple - Ngu Dong Son, Lang Temple; Lat Son Base... Tam Chuc and Bat Canh Son scenic spots have been planned, invested in by the State to upgrade, expand infrastructure, landscape space and auxiliary works to become important cultural tourist areas and destinations of the province, welcoming domestic and foreign visitors to visit and worship. In addition, other ranked relics have also received investment and restoration, promoting their value to meet the cultural and spiritual needs of the people and educate the patriotic tradition for future generations.

Although the number of relics that have been renovated, embellished, and restored is quite high, the reality is that degraded relics are not restored with traditional materials, but are repaired or demolished and rebuilt with concrete structures and then painted with imitation wood; the relic floors are paved with tiles... which have gradually lost the original elements of the relics. The management and protection of worship objects, artifacts, relics, and national treasures at the relics are mostly kept at the relics or assigned to the festival committee and temple keeper for management. However, due to the lack of strict protection and preservation, there have been cases of theft of antiquities, in which the theft of royal decrees and worship objects accounts for the majority.

To prevent the above situation, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has advised the Provincial People's Committee to direct localities to develop specific plans for the management and protection of worship objects and artifacts. For rare relics and antiques, such as genealogies, royal decrees, etc., there must be separate plans for management. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also directed specialized agencies to identify valuable artifacts that need to be focused on protection and research; propose to establish a dossier to recognize national treasures for 6 typical artifacts, including: The Kim Cuong statue set of Doi Son pagoda (Duy Tien town); the bronze book named "Kham ban dong bai" of Bac Ly commune, Tho Chuong communal house palanquin of Dao Ly commune, the dragon tray of Van Xa communal house, Duc Ly commune, all in Ly Nhan district; the stone bell of Dieu pagoda, Vu Ban commune (Binh Luc); Stone altar and stone pedestal for worshipping Buddha at Dang Xa Pagoda, Van Xa Commune (Kim Bang). Based on the criteria for ranking relics and from the results of new research discoveries about relics, within the next 10-15 years, it is expected that there will be about 191 relics in the province that can be included in the ranking plan.

According to research results from the Provincial Museum, Phu Ly city has 17 relics, Kim Bang district has 9 relics, Ly Nhan district has 59 relics, Duy Tien town has 37 relics, Binh Luc district has 62 relics and Thanh Liem district has 7 relics. This number will be maintained and continue to increase if localities continue to pay attention, restore, embellish and prevent degradation from socialized sources. And in order for the relics to promote their value, localities need to pay attention to protecting the Han-Nom script system (parallel sentences, steles, royal decrees), researching and restoring folk cultural activities, sacrificial rituals, traditional festivals... that have been associated with and are the soul of the relics.

Chu Binh

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