Heritage exploration tourism, following in the footsteps of the Buddhist Emperor.

Heritage tours, exploring the Truc Lam Buddhist tradition, are what many people think of when the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac complexes become World Cultural Heritage sites.

Potential

Architect Dinh Viet Phuong (3DART Consulting, Design and Technology Solutions Joint Stock Company) immediately thought of the statues he had digitized when UNESCO inscribed Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac (located in Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh provinces and Hai Phong city) as world cultural heritage sites. "This area has many historical sites with incredibly beautiful Buddha statues, many of which are national treasures. Many sculptors still use the statues from the temples in Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac as models for their new works," Mr. Phuong said.

The national treasure is the Three Buddhas statue at Con Son.

PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

Architect Dinh Viet Phuong particularly remembers the statues at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda that he digitized. "Vinh Nghiem Pagoda has a very beautiful set of statues of the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam, a national treasure. The Quan Am statue is also beautiful, and the Cuu Long statue, in my opinion, is the most beautiful in the world. Con Son and Kiet Bac are similar; the sets of Amitabha Buddha statues are all beautiful. The Three Buddhas statue at Con Son is also a national treasure," Mr. Phuong said.

However, having visited the UNESCO World Heritage sites for many years, architect Phuong expressed regret: "The statue of the Three Buddhas at Vinh Nghiem has a central figure with a mustache, meaning it has a mustache, and no explanation has been given as to why. How can people understand this, since Vinh Nghiem itself is a distinct school of thought? Delving deeper into the art of sculpture would be fascinating, and it would be entirely possible to create a pilgrimage route from Vinh Nghiem to Yen Tu, as envisioned by Emperor Tran Nhan Tong."

"People come primarily for religious reasons. The statues there are often considered religious artifacts, and craft villages still go there to request models. However, explanations about the beauty of the statues are superficial. People come but don't understand much more about these precious works. How can we raise awareness of their aesthetic value? Our statues have very graceful proportions. We need a strategy to educate those who don't know about them," architect Dinh Viet Phuong assessed.

X-ray image of the box believed to contain the relics of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong.

PHOTO: DR. VAN ANH

Connecting destinations

According to the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots fully embodies the Truc Lam Buddhist tradition. The story from these lands is a story from the formation of thought to the systematization of Truc Lam Buddhist philosophies, expressed through inscriptions, related artifacts, and ritual practices. This UNESCO heritage site includes a system of special national monuments such as the Yen Tu complex of historical sites and scenic spots, the Tran Dynasty historical site in Dong Trieu, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Bo Da Pagoda, the Con Son - Kiet Bac historical site, and the historical and scenic sites of An Phu - Kinh Chu - Nham Duong… In addition, there are also artifacts, antiques, national treasures, intangible cultural heritage, and traditional festivals in the region…

Architect Dinh Viet Phuong believes that collaboration is necessary to create an ecological zone deeply imbued with Buddhist spirit. "Those involved in tourism must sit down together and develop core tourism ideas based on the spirit of Truc Lam Buddhism. We must avoid a situation where one person uses one style of communication and another uses a different style. Most importantly, we must create an ecological zone deeply rooted in the spirit of Tran Dynasty Buddhism, the spirit of Truc Lam Buddhism," Mr. Phuong said.

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Anh (Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), one of the many stories that can be told to give an idea of ​​Truc Lam Buddhism is the story of the relic box of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong. This relic box is currently preserved at Yen Tu. This relic is considered a part of the story of Truc Lam Buddhism – "the first religious organization in the history of Vietnamese Buddhism" (assessment by Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha - PV ). Dr. Van Anh suggests that if people are unaware of Tran Nhan Tong's relic, they should be told about it.

Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) believes that the designation of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac complexes as UNESCO World Heritage sites could open up opportunities for domestic tourism. "This will have a greater impact on domestic tourism than on foreign visitors. Spiritual tourism is primarily a story for the domestic market," Dr. Thuy said.

According to Dr. Thuy, the current domestic market's demand for spiritual tourism is quite simple. People enjoy pilgrimages to historical sites, then paying respects and making requests. Therefore, there is a need for additional tourism products to extend the length of stay at these sites. This could include a small exhibition within the site, or videos recreating the historical story of Truc Lam Buddhism. This requires the cooperation of relevant localities as well as the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. After that, localities can work together to connect these destinations by building a system of accommodation with rich cultural features.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-lich-kham-pha-di-san-theo-dau-phat-hoang-185250714222438758.htm