The Agarwood Tower on the Nha Trang beachfront. (Photo by Nguyen Phuong)
Upon arriving in Nha Trang, many people immediately seek out the Agarwood Tower, located right by the sea, next to the breezy April 2nd Square. A beautiful architectural structure, the Agarwood Tower is not only a distinctive cultural symbol of Nha Trang- Khanh Hoa but also a sacred spiritual destination, a place of worship for the heroic martyrs. Every day, locals and tourists come to offer incense, flowers, and agarwood, respectfully praying.
It is no coincidence that when writing a book about the land and people of Khanh Hoa, writer Quach Tan chose the title "Land of Agarwood." Regarding agarwood products in particular, he wrote meticulously and in detail about the characteristics, uses, and image of agarwood in the lives of the people. He concluded that agarwood is a special product that brings fame to Khanh Hoa both domestically and internationally. And, whenever agarwood is mentioned, Khanh Hoa is mentioned; and whenever Khanh Hoa is mentioned, agarwood is mentioned.
Agarwood is crystallized from the wounds of the Aquilaria tree – like a sea oyster hiding its pain inside to accumulate into a precious pearl. For generations, agarwood fragrance has been present in the most solemn moments of Vietnamese life, when people want to dialogue with their origins, with their ancestors, and with the deepest, purest part of themselves. For scholars and poets, agarwood is a kindred spirit; for the people of Khanh Hoa, it is a scent associated with rituals, with reverence and aspirations. Those far from home, upon catching a whiff of the agarwood scent of their homeland, feel a strange warmth amidst the cold wind – for within that scent lies the homeland, the family, the Vietnamese consciousness – quiet yet profound.
Folk songs still sing: "Agarwood from Van Gia spreads its fragrance throughout the mountains..." To promote the values of agarwood, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province has decided to recognize Phu Hoi 1 village, Van Thang commune, Van Ninh district (formerly) as meeting the province's agarwood processing village standards; to recognize Phu Hoi 1 village as a location with potential for community tourism development; and to provide 4 billion VND to build a showroom and workshop. Many products from this village have been exported to numerous foreign markets such as China, Japan, India, and the United States.
In the cultural flow, the art of crafting and appreciating agarwood in Khanh Hoa has reached a pinnacle of sophistication and elegance. Besides exploiting natural agarwood, the people of Khanh Hoa are now actively cultivating Aquilaria trees to produce agarwood. Advances in science and technology in harvesting, production, and crafting have resulted in increasingly high-quality and exquisite agarwood products, affirming the brand and lasting value of Khanh Hoa agarwood.
On June 3, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 1651/QD-BVHTTDL recognizing "Knowledge of exploiting and processing agarwood in Khanh Hoa" as a national intangible cultural heritage.
Dr. Nguyen Duy Thai, from the Institute of Culture and Development, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, in his monograph "Vietnamese Agarwood Culture," mentions the concept of "soft power." In reality, to enhance the "soft power" of agarwood culture, it is necessary to thoroughly study issues related to agarwood culture within the overall context of Vietnamese culture; to identify Vietnamese agarwood culture; and to understand the role of agarwood culture in cultural development…
Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa also has an attractive destination for those who love agarwood and ky nam (a type of fragrant wood) - the Khanh Hoa Agarwood Museum, built by Khanh Hoa Agarwood Company, currently displaying about 5,000 documents, images, and artifacts. In 2019, the Khanh Hoa Agarwood Museum was awarded the Guinness Vietnam Record for the first private museum in Vietnam.
According to Nguyen Van Tuong, Chairman of Khanh Hoa Agarwood Company, agarwood is the "messenger" of the Vietnamese soul, a place where pure cultural and spiritual values converge. "I want to change the community's perception of agarwood, not just as a fragrance to enjoy, but as the spiritual essence of Vietnamese culture – a place where spiritual values, medicine, health, and profound consciousness blend together," he emphasized.
Driven by that aspiration, everyone is working towards building the agarwood industry in Khanh Hoa into a symbol of local culture, contributing to the homeland and the country with sustainable, noble, and sacred values.
He was concerned about building the Nha Trang Peace and Creativity Village, centered around the culture and art of agarwood meditation, preserving endemic plant species, and integrating it with film development. Khanh Hoa agarwood, once a local product, has become a national cultural heritage and is gradually connecting Vietnam with the world. Unfortunately, due to various objective reasons, implementation has been slow to date.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tuong suggested: "The State needs to research and properly assess the economic and cultural potential of agarwood in order to develop a systematic, scientific macro-level policy for the sustainable development of Vietnam's agarwood industry."
Today, agarwood is embarking on a new journey with Khanh Hoa – a journey of creating cultural values to integrate with the world with confidence and intelligence. Recently, during a roundtable discussion between General Secretary To Lam and the Boston Global Forum (BGF) in the UK, the vision of building Khanh Hoa-Nha Trang into a global center for cultural and artistic creativity in the age of artificial intelligence was also reported by the BGF.
In this context, agarwood from Khanh Hoa is an important "soft piece" that contributes to creating new strength for the locality.
PHONG NGUYEN
Source: https://nhandan.vn/net-van-hoa-tram-huong-khanh-hoa-post927546.html
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