The complex of historical sites and scenic landscapes of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiet Bac has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

On July 12th, at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots (located in Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh provinces and Hai Phong city) was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site.

The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical and scenic sites, with Truc Lam Buddhism as its core, was established by the Tran dynasty kings in the 13th century, especially with the role of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong. Truc Lam Buddhism has created many values and made special and lasting contributions to the cultural and spiritual heritage of humanity.

Originating from the sacred mountain landscape of Yen Tu, Truc Lam Buddhism represents a philosophical system and the spirit of tolerance and altruism within Buddhism. Truc Lam Buddhism also exemplifies the harmonious blend of Mahayana Buddhism with Confucian ethics, Taoist cosmology, and indigenous Vietnamese beliefs.

The ideological and cultural values of Truc Lam Buddhism are entirely consistent with UNESCO's fundamental goal of maintaining and enriching the shared values of humanity: education, building a culture of peace ; a spirit of self-reliance, harmonious integration between humanity and the natural world, and respect for the laws of nature.

Through temples, hermitages, pilgrimage routes, stone steles, woodblock prints, and meticulously preserved relics distributed across a vast area from Yen Tu to Vinh Nghiem and Con Son - Kiet Bac, the heritage fully reflects the stages of development of Truc Lam Buddhism: from its establishment and institutionalization to its revival and continued spread of creative and humanistic values. These historical sites, formed centuries ago, always demonstrate continuous development, serving as centers of religion, culture, and spirituality, and as pilgrimage destinations for millions of visitors each year.

The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site based on the above criteria, is evidence of the unique combination of state, religion, and people in shaping the Vietnamese national identity; along with sacred landscapes formed through frequent and close interaction with nature; and an ethical system based on love of peace, self-cultivation, tolerance, compassion, and harmony between humanity and nature.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee - Head of the Executive Board for the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac dossier preparation, stated that the dossier was meticulously and systematically prepared by Quang Ninh province with high quality. After many years of effort, the heritage site has been officially recognized internationally.

Quang Ninh province will continue to develop and implement a project to preserve, restore, and promote the value of the Heritage site, ensuring its sustainability and widespread dissemination of the noble values of the World Heritage site. The moment of being inscribed is a great source of pride not only for the government and people of the three provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong, but also for the people of the whole country. The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots is the first World Heritage site in the form of a chain, and also the second inter-provincial heritage site among the nine World Heritage sites in Vietnam recognized by UNESCO.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Chairman of the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee, stated that the inscription is not only a source of pride for the governments and people of the three localities of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Bac Ninh, but also a shared joy for Vietnam as a whole. This recognition affirms the international appreciation for the value of the complex of relics and the humane, peaceful ideals of Truc Lam Buddhism founded by Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, as well as Vietnam's efforts in protecting the heritage.

UNESCO recognition contributes to enhancing the nation's standing on the international stage, while also creating favorable conditions for the sustainable preservation and promotion of heritage values. The inscription of the complex of historical relics also helps strengthen regional linkages between Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Bac Ninh, building a unified heritage space and contributing to promoting the image of Vietnam and its people.

At the same time, this is another contribution from Vietnam to the goal of preserving and promoting heritage values that UNESCO is advocating. This honor and pride always come with responsibility, requiring all levels, sectors, and localities to raise awareness and implement practical and effective measures to preserve and promote heritage values in accordance with the spirit of the World Heritage Convention and in conjunction with sustainable development.

According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Chairman of the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee, the inscription is not only a source of pride for the governments and people of the three localities of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Bac Ninh, but also a shared joy for Vietnam as a whole.

In his response, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Dr. Architect Hoang Dao Cuong, emphasized that to achieve this success, for many years, the system of relics and intangible cultural heritage of localities has received special attention from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the provinces through the implementation of many projects to preserve and restore relics; research and identification of values to prepare nomination dossiers and inscriptions domestically and internationally; contributing to protecting the outstanding global value of the heritage site, and enhancing the cultural and spiritual life of the community and people of the localities.

The Deputy Minister was pleased to announce to the Session that Vietnam will continue to implement activities to protect and promote the value of World Heritage sites in a sustainable manner, implementing a good management model for World Heritage sites in Vietnam. This spirit has been demonstrated by the fact that on November 23, 2024, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam passed the Law on Cultural Heritage 2024, along with guiding documents for its implementation (which supplements domestic law the sustainable development perspectives of UNESCO in the spirit of the World Heritage Convention, introduces regulations on assessing the impact of heritage in the context of World Heritage sites, develops a plan for managing and protecting World Heritage sites; links the preservation of monuments with the protection of intangible cultural heritage at World Heritage sites, with the goal of better serving local communities...).

According to Associate Professor Dr. Le Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Standing Member of the National Council of Cultural Heritage, and Head of the Vietnamese expert group participating in the World Heritage Committee, the inclusion of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, and Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots in the UNESCO World Heritage List is the result of closely following and implementing the directives of the Party and State leaders, General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and the Deputy Prime Ministers.

This result reflects the high level of effort and determination of the localities of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Bac Ninh, especially the leading role of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province throughout the research process, starting in 2013 to register with UNESCO for inclusion in the Nomination List of sites in Quang Ninh and Bac Giang provinces (now Bac Ninh province) until 2020, when the Prime Minister assigned the addition of sites in Hai Duong province (now Hai Phong city) to ensure the integrity of the heritage; along with the determination to strengthen research and complete the dossier for UNESCO recognition as a World Heritage Site; that journey was fraught with difficulties and challenges, including the recommendation to "return the dossier" right before the session. However, it is affirmed that for more than 10 years, the Vietnamese Government has paid special attention to and promoted research at the heritage site until today's success.

“This achievement demonstrates our combined strength, the close and effective coordination between localities and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism – the focal agency assisting the Government in the unified state management of cultural heritage, fulfilling the responsibilities and commitments of a member state participating in UNESCO Conventions on cultural heritage; of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Council for Cultural Heritage and experts participating in the World Heritage Committee of Vietnam.”

The Vietnamese delegation attended the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

The success of the heritage dossier owes a great deal to the role of the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee and the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to UNESCO in Paris, France, in coordinating information, promptly connecting and working with specialized agencies of UNESCO, ICOMOS, the World Heritage Committee, and experts. This involved conducting dozens of meetings and contacts with heads of delegations, ambassadors, and experts from 20 member states of the World Heritage Committee, the Director of the World Heritage Centre, and ICOMOS. This helped us update and explain information, clarify outstanding universal values, and demonstrate a strong commitment to implementing ICOMOS's recommendations on heritage conservation. This success is significantly contributed to by the special assistance of the UNESCO Representative Office in Vietnam, international experts, and ICOMOS, who provided active professional support in completing the dossier, explaining, and effectively implementing ICOMOS's recommendations,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thi Thu Hien emphasized.

In particular, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a letter to the Director-General of UNESCO and the 20 member states of the World Heritage Committee requesting support for the nomination of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac Complex of Monuments and Scenic Spots, affirming Vietnam's strong commitment to heritage management and protection, which was highly appreciated by the members. Based on this, the session achieved unanimous support, with all members agreeing that the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac Complex of Monuments and Scenic Spots deserves to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

UNESCO-recognized World Heritage sites in Vietnam have made and continue to make significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the region, contributing to environmental protection, green and sustainable growth, while simultaneously promoting Vietnamese culture, country, and people to the world and enriching the cultural heritage of humanity. This contribution also demonstrates Vietnam's commitment and responsibility in protecting World Heritage sites not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast Asia, preserving them for the present and passing them on to future generations. As a member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term, Vietnam is also actively contributing to the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quan-the-di-tich-va-danh-lam-thang-canh-yen-tu-vinh-nghiem-con-son-kiep-bac-duoc-unesco-ghi-vao-danh-muc-di-san-the-gioi-320759.html