- Dear Comrade Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism
- Dear Comrade Pham Thanh Binh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs , Chairman of the National Commission for UNESCO in Vietnam
- Dear Comrade Mai Van Tuat, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council,
Dear Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Vietnam
- Dear Ms. Nao Hayashi, Asia-Pacific Regional Specialist of the World Heritage Centre
Dear domestic and international experts and scientists,
- Dear guests!
As part of a series of activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex being recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage, today, in the historic Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Ninh Binh Province, in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, organized the International Scientific Conference "Promoting the role and value of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in building a Millennium Heritage City and connecting world heritage cities". This is an important event to honor the values of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, recognize and evaluate the management, conservation and promotion of heritage values; At the same time, seek the help and support of domestic and international experts, scientists and managers in promoting the role and value of heritage in realizing the great aspirations and strategic orientations of the province, which is to build Ninh Binh into a Millennium Heritage City, a center of tourism, cultural industry, and heritage economy of the region, the country and of international stature.
On behalf of the leaders of Ninh Binh province, I would like to send greetings, thanks and wishes for health and happiness to the leaders of ministries, branches; scientists, experts and distinguished guests at home and abroad who attended the Workshop; and wish the Workshop great success!
Dear delegates!
Ninh Binh - a land endowed with many famous landscapes, landscapes, and unique natural wonders. This place, which has been marked for tens of thousands of years, was chosen by our ancient ancestors as a place to live, flexibly adapting to changes in the living environment, creating a unique cultural form in prehistoric times, creating the premise for the ancient capital Hoa Lu to be chosen as the capital of Dai Co Viet State for 42 years, during the Dinh - Tien Le dynasties and the early years of the Ly dynasty. All the unique elements of nature, culture and history have crystallized into a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Trang An with outstanding global values, recognized by UNESCO in 2014.
Hoa Lu - Ninh Binh has a special position, being the political, military, economic and cultural center of the centralized feudal state in Vietnam. Coming to Hoa Lu today, there are still intact the majestic natural stone citadel, temples commemorating national heroes of the two dynasties Dinh - Tien Le, the fund of architectural relics, the structure of traditional villages... along with the livelihood habits of the people and the depth of tangible and intangible cultural values.
Ninh Binh is also the birthplace and growing up land of famous celebrities and scholars, culturalists, and contemporary scientists. Every mountain and river in Ninh Binh are places that record cultural and historical vestiges in the process of adapting to nature, fighting internal and external enemies to stand firm and develop. Each land name and village name is the source of strength, expressing the aspiration to rise up of the people in Ninh Binh.
After 42 years (968-1010) of existence and association with three dynasties: Dinh, Tien Le, Ly, it was truly the political, economic, cultural center of the unified, independent, autonomous Dai Co Viet country... playing the role of a solid military citadel created by nature and man, thus creating more motivation to attract people from many regions to live. The book Ninh Binh whole province geographical examination written in the 19th century once proud of his homeland: "Truong Yen is the first cultural capital", "is the first capital whose reputation spread everywhere".
Hoa Lu is truly worthy of its name when it is compared to the Stone Capital with mountains as walls, rivers as roads, caves as palaces, and many temples and traditional settlements. Hoa Lu is also the name of the first imperial capital of Dai Viet nation, an urban - port city leaning on the mountains, overlooking the river, opening to the East Sea, opening up and laying the foundation for the development of Dai Viet civilization.
To see the outstanding values of Hoa Lu - Ninh Binh land with its unique and rich natural and human resources, it is the potential for developing ecological and humanistic tourism of the province. Trang An scenic area is also identified as a place to be invested in to become a national and international tourist area... in the overall planning of tourism development in Vietnam.
After 10 years of being recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Trang An scenic area has become a clear demonstration of an inevitable trend: That is, connecting inter-provincial, inter-regional, and even inter-national heritage tourism, in order to create unique values and brands for the heritage area. What is special is that Trang An has created new values to connect the indigenous and modern characteristics, of the past urban area with the future urban area on the basis of effective, harmonious, and sustainable conservation of heritage values.
10 years of being named a World Natural and Cultural Heritage, the people here have enjoyed the benefits, along with the efforts to continue researching, discovering, evaluating and perfecting the integrity of the heritage. Trang An - Ninh Binh has become a choice, a destination, a familiar place that meets the needs of many types of tourists, as well as keeping up with the general development needs of the social situation, market economy and most especially always associated with the policy of comprehensive development of cultural elements of the Party and Government, along with the development orientation of the leaders of Ninh Binh province.
This is really a challenge for management, conservation, value promotion, demonstrating the responsibility of the people and government towards the precious heritage of our ancestors.
Therefore, the questions raised are:
- The outstanding global values of heritage must be respected, preserved, conserved and promoted with high standards. Protecting and promoting effectively and sustainably the values of heritage are associated with the responsibilities of all levels, sectors, units and the interests of businesses as well as people living in the Heritage Area;
- Maintain the title of "World Heritage" to promote economic development of the heritage, ensure social security, create jobs, increase income, improve the cultural and spiritual life of the people, especially those living and doing business in the heritage area;
- Reasonable and sustainable use of heritage values to serve the development of distinct tourism products, contributing to building Ninh Binh province into a tourism center of the Northern Delta region, the whole country and the Asia-Pacific region, actively contributing to the socio-economic development of the province.
- Balancing conservation and development; connecting the Heritage Area between urban and rural areas, ensuring the urban carrying capacity and preserving the originality of the heritage to adapt to climate change.
- Spread experiences from management and development of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, concretize with appropriate policies to promote and replicate heritages in Vietnam and around the world.
The above works will need to be specified for the goals and vision of the Ninh Binh Provincial Planning approved by the Prime Minister, which is to become a centrally-governed city by 2035 with the characteristics of a millennium heritage city, a creative city; a large center with high brand value in tourism, cultural industry, and heritage economy of the whole country and the Asia-Pacific region. Tourism - tourism products from heritage are the choice and solution for this goal.
Dear delegates and guests, dear Conference!
One of the most important principles that has been followed throughout the decade of Trang An heritage being promoted and preserved to this day is the solidarity of the entire people… and it cannot be without the support of scientists. Thanks to their in-depth professional advice, Ninh Binh province has had practical instructions as well as identified key tasks.
The demand for tourism and cultural industry development is increasing, promoting faster and stronger the urbanization process of both urban and rural areas, gradually approaching the model of heritage urban areas. The process of moving towards a leading civilized and modern heritage urban area of the country with international stature is also the process of gradually perfecting the criteria for Ninh Binh to become a centrally-governed city in the South of the Red River Delta, contributing to defining the urban brand of Ninh Binh.
The outstanding values of the capital - the first imperial capital of Dai Viet nation in the North, have created the most distinctive identity values of the historical - cultural space of Hoa Lu capital as the main resource, strong driving force and fundamental advantage for Ninh Binh to be able to upgrade to become a civilized and modern heritage urban area - a centrally-governed city representing the growth pole in the South of the Red River Delta. This is the core content, the most important basis for researching the brand format of Hoa Lu - Ninh Binh heritage urban area in the development orientation to 2030 and vision to 2050.
At this workshop, we will discuss to propose solutions and key recommendations to directly serve the conservation planning activities for the Trang An mixed heritage site. In addition to addressing the conservation planning contents before and after the heritage site is recognized, it is also necessary to identify socio-economic changes in the coming time as an important task. This conservation planning needs to ensure consistency in determining management areas, protecting outstanding global values, integrity, authenticity of the heritage site according to UNESCO regulations; managing construction activities, tourism activities together with the management plan as the basis for implementing management, conservation, restoration, sustainable use and promoting the value of the heritage site.
Therefore, this Workshop is a valuable opportunity for Ninh Binh province to welcome and receive valuable knowledge from experts and researchers in various fields of research at home and abroad. We propose that scientists and experts at home and abroad will focus on discussing some of the following main contents.
- One is: Honoring, promoting and disseminating the values of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex associated with sustainable tourism development, which is a premise towards building Hoa Lu city into a Millennium Heritage City; Looking back at the outstanding achievements in the past 10 years, and proposing an orientation for the overall conservation planning of the heritage site with an interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approach - as a model of a heritage city.
- Second, scientists attending the Workshop are requested to make accurate assessments, affirm the role and provide appropriate planning directions and solutions for the conservation and promotion of the value of Heritage in the construction of Ninh Binh Millennium Heritage City in the coming time.
- Third, determine the role and position of Heritage in tourism economic development, socio-economic development; conservation, scientific research; calling for and attracting investment, attracting tourists and cooperating and connecting World Heritage cities.
- Fourth , research and propose solutions to share and spread more strongly domestically and internationally the practical experiences of conservation and development from Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, thereby proposing appropriate policies to the Government and UNESCO...
And importantly, Ninh Binh province always wishes to continue to honor and affirm the role and importance of the outstanding global values of the Heritage and improve the effectiveness in managing, preserving and promoting the outstanding global values of the Heritage; continue to fulfill its commitments to UNESCO in the management and promotion of values to preserve and conserve the Heritage for future generations.
Attending the conference today, we have welcomed experts from many fields of history, culture, architecture, planning, heritage conservation, geology, hydrology, anthropology, tourism, socio-economics... who have brought together the enthusiasm and intelligence of scientists with the land of Ninh Binh. That is extremely valuable.
Once again, thank you for coming.
Wishing you all health, happiness and success!
Thank you very much!
(*) Title by Ninh Binh Newspaper
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