Vietnam's mark on the global heritage map

The UNESCO recognition of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex is a recognition of the lasting value of Truc Lam Buddhist culture in three sacred lands. This is both an opportunity to affirm the position of Vietnamese culture and a reminder of the responsibility to preserve heritage for future generations.

The World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) reviewed the dossier of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son and Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex. (Source: VOV)

On July 12, at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO), Professor Nikolay Nenov, Chairman of the Session, officially rapped the hammer to register the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex as a world cultural heritage.

When honoring Vietnam's new heritage, UNESCO clearly stated that the ideological and cultural values of Truc Lam Buddhism are completely consistent with UNESCO's basic goals in maintaining and enriching the common values of humanity: Education, building a culture of peace ; spirit of self-reliance, harmonious combination between humans and the natural world, respecting the laws of nature.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, said that UNESCO highly appreciates the humanistic and peaceful thoughts of Truc Lam Buddhism, as well as Vietnam's efforts in protecting the heritage. This recognition contributes to enhancing the international position, while creating favorable conditions for preserving and promoting the heritage value in a sustainable manner.

Connecting Vietnamese spirituality

As the second inter-provincial world heritage and the ninth world heritage of Vietnam, the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex spans the territory of three localities (present-day Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh) with its core value being Truc Lam Buddhism founded by Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong in the 13th century.

Truc Lam Buddhism represents a philosophical system and the spirit of tolerance and altruism of Buddhism. Through temples, hermitages, pilgrimage routes, stone steles, woodblocks and carefully preserved relics distributed over a large space from Yen Tu to Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, Kiep Bac, the heritage fully reflects the stages of development of Truc Lam Buddhism, from its establishment and institutionalization to its revival and continued spread of creative and humanistic values.

Sharing with TG&VN, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Chi Ben, former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism (formerly the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts) said that this is a space that witnessed and preserved the imprints of wise kings, famous generals and even communities that contributed to historical feats. This space is not only sacred in Buddhist consciousness but also blends with folk beliefs such as worshiping Saint Tran, creating a unique and dense cultural and spiritual space.

“Notably, this heritage converges many intangible values from rituals, religious practices, festival systems, to legends and community memories. Although recognized as a tangible world heritage, this complex has strong intangible elements, which not all heritages have,” he affirmed.

Dong Pagoda is located on the top of Yen Tu Mountain, Quang Ninh Province. (Photo: Khac Huong)

The Journey of Endurance

Not only outstanding in its unique value, the story of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex being listed as a world heritage is also a journey of many efforts in building and completing the inter-provincial nomination dossier in a meticulous and methodical manner over more than 13 years, from 2012-2025.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Deputy Head of Steering Committee, Head of the Management Board for the construction of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac dossier, said that the heritage complex was listed first of all as a result of localities closely following and implementing well the directions of Party and State leaders, specifically General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Deputy Prime Ministers...

According to Ms. Hanh, today's achievements demonstrate the combined strength, close and effective coordination between localities with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Cultural Heritage Council and Vietnamese experts participating in the World Heritage Committee, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO in coordinating information, promptly connecting and working with UNESCO's specialized agencies, the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the World Heritage Committee. In addition, there is special assistance from the UNESCO Representative Office in Vietnam, international experts in the field in completing the dossier, explaining and implementing the recommendations well.

In particular, this is the first nomination dossier in Vietnam to be implemented in the form of a chain heritage, inter-provincial with relic sites located in a large area with complex terrain of mountains, rivers and streams. The first two years of dossier development were also in the context of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the three provinces still took the opportunity to conduct archaeological excavations at a number of relic sites in the area, thereby adding valuable information to the heritage dossier. The process of collecting information, documents, and research since 2020 has also been carried out simultaneously with the construction of the heritage dossier, going through many steps until it is officially completed to meet UNESCO's increasingly strict dossier review requirements.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, old Bac Giang province, now Bac Ninh province. (Source: General Department of Tourism)

It can be seen that the journey to protect the heritage dossier has many new challenges, but the Vietnamese working delegations have never given up, always with great determination to exchange, provide information and clarify the outstanding global values of the heritage. Most recently, from June 10-17, Quang Ninh organized a working delegation led by the provincial leader, participating with the delegation of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO to go to France, conducting a campaign for the nominated heritage complex dossier.

Previously, from May 16-17, localities also coordinated with the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO to organize the program "Day to learn about Vietnam in 2025", and invited diplomatic corps in Vietnam to visit, promote and introduce the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac relic and landscape complex, to mobilize for nomination documents.

Talking about this journey, Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Standing Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council, Head of the Vietnamese expert group participating in the World Heritage Committee emphasized: “That journey was not without difficulties, including the recommendation to return the dossier right before the Session. However, over the past 10 years, the Vietnamese Government has paid special attention to and promoted research work at the heritage site until today's success”.

Con Son relic site, Kiep Bac, former Hai Duong province, now Hai Phong city. (Source: ictvietnam)

Great responsibility

The World Heritage title is the starting point of a new journey: Protecting, promoting and inspiring; demonstrating Vietnam's commitment and responsibility in preserving world heritages not only in Vietnam, preserving them for the present and passing them on to future generations.

Sharing with TG&VN, Ms. Le Thi Hong Van, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Secretary General of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, affirmed that the world heritage listing will create favorable conditions for preserving and promoting heritage values in a sustainable manner; at the same time, it will help strengthen regional connectivity between Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh, build a unified heritage space, and contribute to promoting the image of the country and people of Vietnam.

“This is also another contribution of Vietnam to the goal of preserving and promoting heritage values that UNESCO is promoting. Vietnam, as a member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term, is making increasingly active contributions to the implementation of the Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

Ms. Le Thi Hong Van emphasized that honor and pride always go hand in hand with responsibility, requiring all levels, sectors and localities to raise awareness and synchronously deploy practical and effective measures to preserve and promote the value of heritage in accordance with the spirit of the World Heritage Convention associated with sustainable development.

Heritage will not be forgotten if it is always present in the lives and spirits of the people. With the special values just recognized by UNESCO, the Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac will make an important contribution to the socio-economic development of the locality, contributing to environmental protection, green and sustainable growth, thereby promoting Vietnamese culture, country and people to the world and enriching the world's cultural treasure.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dau-an-viet-tren-ban-do-di-san-toan-cau-321282.html