Possessing two inter-provincial World Heritage sites and two UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage sites is a rare advantage for Hai Phong. (Photo: THANH CHUNG)
The 2025 Con Son - Kiet Bac Autumn Festival is underway, featuring many rituals and ceremonies that have been restored to their original form. This is the first festival held after Con Son Pagoda and Kiet Bac Temple, part of a complex recently recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, were established. Through this festival, the heritage is disseminated more widely, and everyone recognizes their responsibility in this endeavor.
A diverse cultural landscape
The city of Hai Phong today boasts one of the richest cultural landscapes in the country. This region has both the pristine Cat Ba island, preserving the lifestyle of fishing villages, and the sacred Con Son - Kiet Bac area, associated with the national hero Tran Hung Dao and the Truc Lam Zen sect.
Across the fertile plains are hundreds of traditional festivals, from the Cao Temple festival, the Nhẫm Dương Pagoda festival, the Kính Chủ Cave festival to folk activities associated with traditional crafts and cuisine . Maritime culture blends with Red River culture, port city culture meets Northern Vietnamese village culture, creating a multi-layered and diverse identity.
According to the Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Hai Binh: "Hai Phong has cultural connections that greatly support the economic and cultural development of the locality, serving as an important foundation for developing Hai Phong's culture to be both advanced, humane, and rich in identity. Culture creates an intrinsic strength that helps Hai Phong better promote the value of its heritage."
Possessing two inter-provincial World Heritage sites and two UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage sites is a rare advantage. This not only elevates Hai Phong's position on the international cultural map but also creates a strong attraction for domestic and international tourists. When properly utilized, these heritage sites can become a "brand" to promote the image of a modern port city while preserving its traditional roots.
On the other hand, the rich system of historical sites spread across communes and wards provides favorable conditions for connecting cultural tourism routes and destinations, forming diverse experiential products, from spiritual pilgrimages and historical exploration to traditional craft village tourism. This also forms the basis for developing community tourism, linking heritage with local life, and turning historical values into a driving force for socio-economic development.
Connecting to elevate heritage
Integrating intangible cultural heritage into festivals at cultural heritage sites is a way to connect, promote, and support each other among heritage sites to spread their values. (Photo: THANH CHUNG)
Given the advantages mentioned above, promoting the value of Hai Phong's heritage requires a parallel goal: sustainable preservation and highly effective exploitation. However, for these heritage sites to be effectively utilized, further connections are needed. This includes connections between the heritage sites themselves within the world heritage and scenic area complex, and the integration of natural and spiritual heritage. In addition, there is the connection between tangible and intangible heritage.
During the 2025 Con Son - Kiet Bac Autumn Festival, many folk cultural arts will be featured, such as folk singing, folk performances, Ca Tru singing, and Sam singing. According to Ms. Tran Thi Hoang Mai, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, "The stage at the autumn festival will feature many artistic programs, especially traditional arts and intangible cultural heritage, to serve the people and visitors from all over."
Also at this year's Con Son - Kiet Bac Autumn Festival, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is introducing three tour packages with itineraries that allow visitors to learn about the heritage sites and experience the cultural aspects associated with them. This both spreads the value of the heritage and helps create additional tourism products. This is considered one of the effective solutions to promote and publicize the value of the heritage.
Accordingly, the festival organizing committee has developed three tours: the "A Journey to 5 World Heritage Sites" tour, expected to last two days; the "Following in the Footsteps of the Three Founders of Truc Lam" tour, a one-day trip; and the "Exploring the Con Son and Kiet Bac World Heritage Sites" tour, a two-day experience... On these tours, visitors will not only participate as pilgrims to Buddhist lands but also experience the daily life activities of the local people.
Besides positioning the heritage site as a unique destination in Hai Phong, to fully understand its global value, it is necessary to place the site within the context of the entire complex of historical and scenic sites of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac.
“From the initial stages of preparing the dossier to the time of recognition, Hai Phong has consistently coordinated with Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh provinces in various activities. After the recognition, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism also collaborated with its counterparts in the two provinces to advise the People's Committees of the three provinces and cities to jointly develop a unified regulation on planning, coordination regulations, and communication plans to best promote the value of the heritage complex,” said Mr. Vu Dinh Tien, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
For heritage to truly thrive, the hands and hearts of the community, those who directly preserve and pass it on, are indispensable. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuong, a resident of Nhi Chieu ward, shared: "Preserving heritage isn't a grand undertaking; it starts with small things: keeping the environment around temples and pagodas clean, welcoming visitors with smiles. If everyone does their part, the heritage will endure forever."
Connecting heritage, therefore, is not just the task of the government or businesses, but a shared responsibility of the entire society. When the community participates, heritage not only lives in the past, but continues to shine in the present and future. Preservation must go hand in hand with research, restoration, and enhancement to maintain the original value of the heritage. Meanwhile, exploitation needs to be creative, integrating heritage into modern life through festivals, performances, exhibitions, souvenirs, digital tourism experiences, etc. By doing both these things well, Hai Phong can "transform" its rich heritage system into a "cultural gold mine," contributing to spreading its identity and promoting sustainable economic and tourism development.
Con Son Pagoda, also known as Thien Tu Phuc Tu, is an important Buddhist center of the Truc Lam Zen sect of Dai Viet. The site also includes many other important relics such as the temple dedicated to Nguyen Trai, the temple dedicated to Tran Nguyen Dan, and Thanh Hu Cave.
Kiet Bac Temple is a historical site dedicated to Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan, associated with the resistance base against the Yuan-Mongol army in the 13th century. The temple was built in the early 14th century on a plot of land in the Kiet Bac valley.
Besides Con Son Pagoda and Kiet Bac Temple, Hai Phong also has Thanh Mai Pagoda, Nham Duong Pagoda, and Kinh Chu Cave, which are part of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical and scenic sites, recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.
The Con Son - Kiet Bac Autumn Festival 2025 will take place from October 1st to 12th at Con Son Pagoda and Kiet Bac Temple in Tran Hung Dao Ward. The festival will feature traditional ceremonies such as: sacrificial rites, processions, seal-opening ceremonies, prayers for peace, lantern festivals, memorial ceremonies, and troop gatherings on the Luc Dau River... In addition, the festival will include many vibrant activities such as a Culture, Tourism and Trade Promotion Week, an exhibition titled "Con Son, Kiet Bac – A Journey Through World Cultural Heritage", and traditional ritual performances...
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Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/le-hoi-mua-thu-vang-vong-hon-dan-toc-522955.html
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