Two Buddhist symbols contribute to naming Bac Ninh on the world heritage map

The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son and Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex was officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.

The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son and Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex has just been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Bac Ninh has 2 out of 12 relic sites of this heritage complex, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda and Bo Da Pagoda.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Mai Son, Permanent Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province, said: The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex is the 9th heritage of Vietnam to be honored as a world heritage.

Bac Ninh has 2 out of 12 component relic sites of the Heritage Complex: Vinh Nghiem Pagoda and Bo Da Pagoda.

The heritage complex stretches across 3 provinces and cities: Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong with 12 relics and scenic spots planned synchronously and linked into a unified entity in both space and spirituality.

“This is an inter-provincial complex of relics and scenic spots, including many component relics with different characteristics and values. This poses a great challenge in research, dossier building, unified management, conservation and promotion of heritage values. The dossier requires a large amount of information and scientific documents.

To be recognized by UNESCO, the dossier must demonstrate the outstanding global value of the heritage. Therefore, it requires extensive research, gathering archaeological, historical and cultural evidence to clarify the process of formation, development and spread of Truc Lam Buddhism. The synthesis, editing and supplementing of information according to ICOMOS's requirements is also complicated and requires close coordination," said Mr. Mai Son.

According to Mr. Mai Son, the relics of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (Tan An Ward) and Bo Da Pagoda (Van Ha Ward) in Bac Ninh are recognized as two Truc Lam Buddhist centers, playing an important role in maintaining and developing Buddhism. Here, a unique system of woodblocks is preserved, in which the woodblock storage at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda includes 3,050 woodblocks engraved with Buddhist scriptures, medical books, and precepts in Chinese and Nom characters, which have been recognized by UNESCO as Documentary Heritage under the Memory of the World Program in the Asia-Pacific region.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (also known as Duc La Pagoda) is one of the oldest pagodas and has the most unique historical, cultural and architectural values in Vietnam. The pagoda is located in Quoc Khanh village, Tan An commune, Bac Ninh province.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was built during the Ly Dynasty, and in the 13th century, it was restored by King Tran Nhan Tong and built into an important Buddhist center of the Truc Lam Zen sect. After more than 700 years of history, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda still retains its ancient beauty.

One of the values of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is the Woodblock Warehouse. This is one of the priceless cultural heritages of Vietnam. The Woodblock Warehouse consists of 3,050 wooden blocks carved with Chinese and Nom characters, created between the 17th and early 20th centuries. The contents of the Woodblock Warehouse include Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist precepts, and books on treating diseases with folk remedies.

The architecture of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is a harmonious combination of traditional and modern elements. The architectural works in the pagoda are all built in the traditional Vietnamese architectural style with curved tiled roofs that are intricately carved. In parallel, the pagoda is also equipped with modern facilities to meet the needs of sightseeing and worship of the people.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is one of the oldest pagodas and has the most unique historical, cultural and architectural values in Vietnam. The pagoda's architecture is large, imposing and majestic, demonstrating the prosperity of Buddhism during the Tran Dynasty.

With its historical and cultural values, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was ranked by the State as a national historical and cultural relic in 1964. Then, in 2015, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda festival was recognized by the State as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The relic site of Bo Da Pagoda is a famous ancient temple of the ancient Kinh Bac region. As one of the most ancient and sacred temples of the Kinh Bac region, the pagoda's exact name is Bo Da Mountain Quan Am Pagoda or Bo Da Son Quan Am Son Tu, abbreviated as Bo Pagoda or Tu An Tu. The pagoda is located in a favorable feng shui position, located to the north of the foot of Phuong Hoang Mountain in the Bo Da mountain range, in the distance is the poetic Cau River.

Bo Da Pagoda Tower Garden is one of the most beautiful and largest tower gardens in Vietnam, consisting of 110 towers and tombs of various sizes. Among them, there are 97 ancient towers with hundreds of years of history, which are the place to store the ashes and relics of 1,214 Buddhist monks and nuns of the Lam Te Zen sect throughout the country.

Most of the towers in the garden are 3-4 stories high, with an overall height of 3-5m, while the master towers are even larger.

The Bo Da Pagoda relic site has a unique and different architecture compared to traditional pagodas in Northern Vietnam. It is an "inner-open-outer" architectural style, surrounded by a system of lush bamboo groves and a system of earthen walls like a solid protective rampart, creating a quiet and sacred look... With more than 100 tomb towers, the Bo Da Pagoda tower garden has been recognized by the Vietnam Record Association as the largest tower garden in Vietnam.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hai-bieu-tuong-phat-giao-gop-phan-dinh-danh-bac-ninh-tren-ban-do-di-san-the-gioi-2422123.html