Preventing the distortion of heritage

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - With a history of thousands of years, Thanh Hoa possesses a rich and diverse cultural heritage, clearly reflecting the formation and development process of the locality through the ages. From tangible heritages such as Con Moong Cave, Ho Dynasty Citadel, Lam Kinh Historical Site, Ba Trieu Temple... to hundreds of festivals, folk songs, and folk games preserved through many generations. Therefore, Thanh Hoa's heritage is a priceless asset not only of the locality but also of the whole nation.

Tourists visit and learn about artifacts at the Lam Kinh National Special Historical Relics Exhibition Hall.

However, in recent years, the restoration, embellishment and prevention of degradation of some relics have not yet ensured the provisions of the law. This is more or less due to the lack of awareness of the Law on Cultural Heritage and related legal provisions in the community, even in some local Party committees, authorities and relic management boards. Recently, a number of cases of relic encroachment have attracted public attention, such as: Illegal construction and renovation in the area of ​​Ho Cong Cave National Monument (Vinh Loc Commune); painting and encroachment on Quan Thanh Pagoda (Hac Thanh Ward); unauthorized construction and completion of the front house of Nua Temple Relic (Tan Ninh Commune). Most recently, in May 2025, the tomb of King Le Tuc Tong in the Lam Kinh Special National Monument Complex was encroached by bad guys... From there, it affected the preservation of the original elements of the relic. In addition, some traditional festivals or religious and spiritual activities are sometimes commercialized, turning festivals into places for profiteering.

Faced with the reality that many valuable relics, artifacts, and antiquities are at risk of being damaged or degraded, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a document directing localities to tighten the management, protection, and promotion of heritage values ​​throughout the province. In particular, it requires that no loss, damage, or destruction of heritage occurs in any form. Along with that, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has increased inspection, examination, and strict handling of violations in heritage conservation, while promoting propaganda to raise awareness among the community. Localities and relic management boards focus on promoting digitization, creating scientific records, and classifying relics and artifacts into groups for appropriate protection, avoiding dispersion and waste. The work of inventorying and documenting intangible heritage, especially values ​​at risk of being lost, is also focused on, in order to preserve them in the most complete and accurate way.

Director of the Provincial Museum Trinh Dinh Duong said, "To prevent negative behaviors that damage heritage effectively and in the long term, it requires the synchronous participation of the entire political system and the cooperation of the entire community. In particular, the cultural work team plays a particularly important role, directly propagating to the community"...

Currently, many localities have a large number of heritages, but the number of cultural staff is still small and lacks expertise, leading to the implementation of conservation activities not meeting requirements. Sharing from the perspective of those who do research and collect antiquities, Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Cultural Heritage and Antiquities Association Ho Quang Son said, "Heritage conservation needs to be placed in the overall strategy for sustainable socio -economic development. In particular, it is necessary to strictly handle acts of infringement on tangible and intangible cultural heritage. In the work of restoring relics, it is necessary to prioritize solutions to preserve the original state, only intervene when absolutely necessary and must be based on clear scientific grounds, avoiding mistakes that cause distortion of heritage, leading to the inability to fix. When heritage is preserved in the right direction, exploited in a harmonious way between tradition and modernity, it will create momentum for socio-economic development, including the tourism sector".

Article and photos: Hoai Anh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ngan-ngua-viec-lam-nbsp-bien-dang-di-san-256536.htm