Let the Yen Tu historical and scenic site tell its own story.

"Attention everyone, come join us at the Yen Tu Village Festival!"

At the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac historical and scenic complex, at the foot of the sacred mountain, every evening, Ms. Lai Thi Ngoc and her performing arts troupe give their all, illuminating the village festival atmosphere. Amidst the lively drumming and gong sounds, the troupe's inviting voices transport visitors back to the 13th century with the flower dance celebrating peace , the sounds of ceremonial singing, the bustling harvest prayer ceremony, and the rhythmic bamboo pole dance… Through games and quick question-and-answer sessions, the members of the troupe skillfully tell visitors stories about Yen Tu, the Truc Lam Zen sect, and Emperor Tran Nhan Tong.

Like other members of the performing arts group, Lai Thi Ngoc was born and raised in Thuong Yen Cong commune (now Yen Tu ward, Quang Ninh province), where 50% of the population are Thanh Y Dao people. Ngoc said: As the Yen Tu scenic area is gradually connected to and developed, the lives of the local people are also changing, their family economies are stabilizing thanks to participation in service activities, and local culture is being honored and spread.

To take the historical site and win the Yen Tu victory, tell your story (image 1)

"Village Festival Night" is a cultural product that recreates traditional customs through various folk art performances and interaction with the audience.

“The lives of the local people have changed a lot, and their awareness has also increased significantly. As residents here, everyone understands the importance of this historical site and is conscious of protecting it. We are very happy that our homeland has a heritage recognized by the whole world , and we hope that through performances like this, we can introduce our culture to tourists both domestically and internationally,” Ms. Ngoc happily stated.

The participation of local people has contributed to "breathing life" into cultural products and enriching the experience for tourists visiting Yen Tu in recent years. Mr. Le Trong Thanh, Deputy General Director of External Relations of Tung Lam Development Joint Stock Company - a unit that has been associated with the Yen Tu historical and scenic site for nearly 25 years - said: in parallel with the government at all levels in building the heritage dossier, the unit will also continue to orient the development of cultural products that spread the values of the entire complex. From the Village Festival Night, there will be more performances that are rich in the culture of the Tran Dynasty, telling historical stories and Buddhist teachings through folk art... In this, the participation of local people plays a key role.

To visit the historical site and tell your story (image 2)

Domestic and international tourists enthusiastically participate in activities guided by local people at Yen Tu.

“In the future, we will continue to improve and refine the skills of our local people and tour guides, acting as companions to tourists, to tell stories of heritage that will have great significance for visitors. Our guiding principle is always to spread Vietnamese culture and the spirit of Truc Lam Buddhist thought. Heritage must be connected to the local community, and the people should benefit from the material and spiritual values that heritage brings,” Mr. Le Trong Thanh added.

Let heritage "speak its own language".

Within the common thread, each of the 12 components of the heritage complex carries its own unique story. The challenge for localities with heritage sites is how to leverage the individual value of each site while simultaneously connecting them to the overall context. In Hai Phong City, the Con Son - Kiet Bac Heritage Management Board has developed a plan to further explore the stories behind the heritage, rather than simply attracting tourists through the "products" of the sites and festivals. One such idea is a tour along the Luc Dau River, exploring the stories of the Tran Dynasty generals in their efforts to defend the country against the Mongol invaders.

To take the historical site and win the Yen Tu battle, tell your own story (image 3)

Yen Tu ward (Quang Ninh province) is developing various programs to allow visitors to experience and learn more about the heritage values.

Mr. Le Duy Manh, Deputy Head of the Con Son - Kiet Bac Relic Management Board, said: “We are developing a tourism development program to connect and create internal tourist routes from the Con Son - Kiet Bac historical site to Cam Giang and to the Kinh Mon relic site, expanding within the region, related to the heritage sites of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, creating a typical cultural space and tourism development space of the Northeast region, preserving and spreading it in the lives of the people.”

Local authorities have also immediately begun promoting and developing the value of heritage in the short and long term. This autumn, Yen Tu ward (Quang Ninh province) is organizing the "Yen Tu - Autumn Colors of Meditation" festival, lasting up to 3 months, recreating traditional cultural spaces, exhibiting paintings and artifacts, and screening documentary films… Visitors can not only listen to lectures about the Buddhist Emperor and meditation, take tours following in the footsteps of the Buddhist Emperor, but also participate in art performances, Trần Dynasty costume shows, and cultural festivals of ethnic groups at the foot of Yen Tu mountain…

To take the historical site and the victorious Yen Tu to tell his story (image 4)

The products are all geared towards connecting with and spreading heritage values within the overall journey and story.

According to Mr. Bui Hoang Giang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Tu Ward, the locality plans to propose research on building a digital museum to preserve cultural heritage values in the ward, contributing to the development of the cultural industry and heritage economy for Quang Ninh province and other localities with heritage sites.

“The digital museum is a combination of physical objects and digitalization. Visitors can see ancient statues from the Tran Dynasty and also learn about and experience models currently in various localities through virtual reality applications. We will put everything together so that when visiting Yen Tu, visitors will see the overall development of the Tran Dynasty, Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, Vietnamese Buddhism, and the Truc Lam Zen sect,” said Mr. Bui Hoang Giang.

To visit the historical site and tell their story (image 5)

Large-scale activities will be organized in coordination with all three localities that possess the heritage, including the ceremony to receive the certificate of inscription for the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots on December 20th.

Detailed plans for preserving and promoting heritage values are not only a requirement of UNESCO but also an urgent task that localities need to implement. With close cooperation among all levels of government, religious leaders, businesses, and the people, heritage will "speak up" to tell its own story vividly, befitting the values it honors.

Preserved within the community life for centuries, and now honored and continued in the new era, the cultural and spiritual essence of this heritage needs to be placed within a comprehensive, systematic, and strategic management and conservation plan.