Attending the conference were Central Committee member and Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu; Central Committee member, Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee, and Head of the Quang Ninh Provincial National Assembly Delegation Quan Minh Cuong; Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, Head of the Steering Committee for the Yen Tu dossier preparation; leaders of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society; leaders of Quang Ninh province and other provinces and cities; and experts and scientists .
At the conference, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee and representative of the Steering Committee for the preparation of the dossier to be submitted to UNESCO for consideration as a World Cultural Heritage site, presented a summary report on the dossier preparation process, stating:
Following the direction of the Prime Minister, on June 5, 2020, Quang Ninh province, in coordination with Bac Giang and Hai Duong (now Bac Ninh and Hai Phong), began developing the scientific dossier for the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiet Bac Complex of Historical Sites and Scenic Landscapes to be submitted to UNESCO for inscription as a World Heritage Site.
From the very beginning, managers and experts recognized that this would be a challenging and unprecedented journey. For the first time, Vietnam is building a heritage dossier spanning three provinces, encompassing 214 sites within six special national heritage areas.
The biggest challenge lies in the very unique characteristics of the Heritage site. Having spanned over 700 years of history since the Tran Dynasty, many structures within the heritage complex are now only foundations, with archaeological traces buried deep underground, and a significant amount of tangible value has been lost over time.
The three provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Giang (now Bac Ninh), and Hai Duong (now Hai Phong) coordinated their efforts to build the dossier with the highest level of dedication and responsibility. This process involved years of concerted effort, the involvement of leaders from central and local government agencies, and the participation of hundreds of domestic and international experts and scientists.
Throughout the five years of implementation, despite numerous difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the unique characteristics of the vast heritage site, with many traces existing only in archaeological form, under the guidance of the Central Government, the close coordination of ministries, sectors, and localities, and the participation of hundreds of experts and scientists from both within and outside the country, the dossier has been meticulously and systematically compiled.
A series of research projects, international conferences, field surveys, archaeological excavations, and studies on history, culture, geology, and biodiversity were conducted to clarify the outstanding universal value of the heritage site. The official dossier was completed and on January 26, 2024, it was submitted to UNESCO with over 5,000 pages of documents, including maps, photographic documentation, videos, and a heritage management plan.
Following a rigorous evaluation process by ICOMOS, along with extensive diplomatic and academic efforts and international advocacy, on July 12, 2025, at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Paris (France), UNESCO officially inscribed the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots as a World Cultural Heritage site. The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac dossier became a rare instance of receiving unanimous support from all 21 member states. All agreed on the exceptional value of the heritage site.
The dossier was approved based on 12 sites/clusters of monuments and 2 nomination criteria, numbers 3 and 6. This is the 9th World Heritage site and also the 2nd inter-provincial World Heritage site of Vietnam, after Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago, located in the two provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong.
Speaking at the conference, Central Committee member and Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, along with experts, scientists, and the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Quang Ninh province, all highly appreciated the meticulous, serious, and scientific preparation of the heritage dossier. They also affirmed that this is one of the high-quality heritage dossiers, clearly demonstrating the historical and cultural depth and outstanding global value of the Truc Lam Zen sect.
The opinions also emphasized that being inscribed by UNESCO is a great achievement, affirming the position and value of Vietnamese heritage on the international stage; however, this is only the beginning of a long journey to sustainably preserve and promote the value of heritage.
In the coming period, localities need to continue to closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, international organizations, and the community to effectively manage and preserve the values of the heritage; at the same time, effectively promote the cultural, historical, landscape, and spiritual values of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac Complex of Monuments and Scenic Spots in conjunction with sustainable tourism development, traditional education, and promoting the image of Vietnam and its people to the world.
Speaking at the conference, Central Committee member, Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee, and Head of the Quang Ninh Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Quan Minh Cuong, emphasized that the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots, recognized by UNESCO, is not only a source of pride for Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Bac Ninh, but also a shared pride of the entire nation and people, with its glorious history and unique cultural and spiritual values that have been recognized by the world.
This achievement is thanks to the close leadership and guidance of the Central Government, the responsible and effective coordination of ministries, sectors, and localities, and the dedication and intellect of domestic and international experts and scientists. At the same time, this is also a valuable lesson learned in the research, document collection, and dossier preparation for other Vietnamese heritage sites in the future.
Authorized by the Prime Minister, Central Committee member, Provincial Party Secretary, and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Quan Minh Cuong, presented the Prime Minister's Certificate of Commendation to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee affirmed that Quang Ninh will continue to closely coordinate with localities and relevant agencies to effectively implement commitments with UNESCO; focusing on systematic and selective investment, ensuring compliance with UNESCO's regulations and criteria. At the same time, it will promote the conservation, restoration, and enhancement of the unique values of its heritage sites.
In his concluding remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, Head of the Steering Committee for the construction of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac Heritage dossier, emphasized that being inscribed is a great honor but also places a great responsibility on the management, preservation and promotion of the value of the world heritage site.
The Steering Committee requested that localities and relevant agencies continue to seriously implement the recommendations of UNESCO and ICOMOS; urgently finalize the World Heritage Management Plan; build an effective and substantive inter-provincial coordination mechanism; strengthen in-depth research on the outstanding universal values of the heritage, especially the intangible cultural heritage system associated with Truc Lam Buddhism and the central role of the community in preserving and practicing the heritage.
In particular, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the spirit of Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the development of Vietnamese culture in the new era; identifying culture as the spiritual foundation of society, an endogenous resource and an important driving force for the sustainable development of the country. The work of preserving and promoting the value of the Yen Tu World Heritage Site must be placed within the overall strategy for the development of Vietnamese culture and people; in which priority is given to investing in culture, heritage, traditional education and the comprehensive development of human beings.
In the coming period, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will strengthen professional guidance, improve mechanisms and policies; promote digital transformation in the field of cultural heritage; link conservation with sustainable cultural tourism development, contributing to socio-economic development and improving the material and spiritual lives of the people. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to work alongside localities in the management, conservation and promotion of heritage values so that heritage becomes a typical symbol of Vietnam's cultural values, peace, tolerance and sustainable development in the new era.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister awarded Certificates of Merit to one collective and three individuals from Quang Ninh province; the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province awarded Certificates of Merit to 13 collectives and 46 individuals for their outstanding achievements in the work of building and protecting the scientific dossier of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiet Bac Complex of Monuments and Scenic Spots for submission to UNESCO for recognition as a World Heritage Site.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/bo-vhttdl-se-tiep-tiep-dong-hanh-cung-cac-dia-phuong-228574.html
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