A historic choice
At the scientific conference "Defining Ninh Binh's Identity in conjunction with building a local brand," Lieutenant General Bui Van Nam, former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, former Deputy Minister of Public Security , and former Secretary of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee, shared: "More than 1,000 years ago, Hoa Lu was chosen as the capital of Dai Co Viet."
Returning to Hoa Lu and Trang An today, looking up at the towering limestone relics, immersing oneself in the majestic natural scenery, feeling the heroic spirit converging in this land, and meeting the people of Ninh Binh - a land of spiritual significance that produces outstanding individuals - anyone would feel proud.
It was on this very land that our ancestor Ly Cong Uan set sail to Thang Long, and from Thang Long, through a thousand years of "carrying swords to expand the territory," we have a Vietnam that is vast, expansive, and full of aspirations for progress as it is today.
Ninh Binh is also a place where cultures and religions converge and intertwine in the most humane sense. This land is a testament to the Vietnamese people with different religious beliefs, living in harmony, peace, mutual respect, and humanity. Ninh Binh is also a region with diverse and abundant topographical resources, incredibly attractive against a backdrop of unique landscapes and a rich history of human and Vietnamese culture, with a continuing and resonant imperial-urban culture that still echoes today. Throughout thousands of years of nation-building and national defense, Ninh Binh has always been a strategic area, marking glorious historical milestones in protecting the independence, sovereignty , and territorial integrity of the country.
Currently, the remnants of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, located in Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district, are one of the four core areas of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. With its outstanding cultural and natural features, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2014, the first and only dual World Heritage site in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the UNESCO Director-General has assessed it as one of the exemplary models for successfully combining economic development and sustainable tourism while respecting nature and ensuring a harmonious balance of interests among the people, the State, and businesses.
Speaking at the ceremony commemorating the 1,055th anniversary of the Dai Co Viet State held in Ninh Binh on April 28, 2023, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, Member of the Politburo, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, emphasized: "The legacy left by the Dai Co Viet State, King Dinh Tien Hoang, and our ancestors, and the achievements that Ninh Binh province has attained in recent years, are invaluable; they form a solid foundation for the Party Committee, government, and people of Ninh Binh to move towards achieving the goal of becoming a prosperous province in the Red River Delta region by 2030."
Inheriting and continuing the glorious historical traditions of our ancestors; under the attention, leadership, and guidance of the Central Government; the Party Committee, government, and people of Ninh Binh have always been united, proactive, and creative, early identifying potentials and strengths and making timely, correct, and steadfast decisions. In each stage of development, Ninh Binh province has adjusted its policies and development strategies to suit the actual conditions and available resources.
From the early 2000s, the province implemented a strategic shift in development from "Brown" to "Green," moving from the manufacturing industry to tourism development, focusing on preserving natural landscapes and historical relics, and designating areas where exploitation of limestone mountain ranges and special-use forests is prohibited or temporarily banned.
To date, Ninh Binh has stopped attracting projects that occupy large areas of land, use outdated technology, and contribute little economic value. The province's economy has consistently grown at a considerable rate, expanding in scale, and shifting its structure in the right direction.
Since 2022, Ninh Binh has become a province that balances its own state budget and contributes revenue to the central government; its per capita income ranked 12th out of 63 provinces and cities by the end of 2022. Notably, Ninh Binh has achieved harmonious development across its regions, and while developing, it has preserved its unique values and identity. Ninh Binh's tourism industry has made significant strides, ranking among the top 10 provinces with the highest number of visitors and becoming one of the key tourist destinations both nationally and internationally.
Thus, Ninh Binh's implementation of a green and circular economy strategy is not a recent development initiative; it has been a guiding principle throughout many Party Congress terms, already established and systematically implemented. This direction aligns with global trends. Today, the digital economy, circular economy, and green growth are development models chosen by many countries. Cultural and historical values, along with conservation efforts, are crucial economic assets that countries and regions use as a foundation for developing cultural industries and heritage economies.
An inevitable trend
Given its unique natural, cultural, and historical characteristics and potential, the Party Committee, government, and people of Ninh Binh are determined to develop Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh into a Millennium Heritage City. This goal is consistent with Ninh Binh's potential and the general development trends worldwide.
On August 23, 2023, the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 16-NQ/TU on the reorganization of district and commune-level administrative units in Ninh Binh province for the period 2023-2030. This resolution includes the following objective by 2025: "To merge Ninh Binh City and Hoa Lu District, and simultaneously reorganize the subordinate commune-level administrative units, while defining the nature of the new merged administrative unit as a Heritage City, based on unique values in terms of natural geography-ecology, culture-history, and possession of world cultural and natural heritage."
Simultaneously, the criteria for recognizing the newly merged administrative unit as a Type I urban area directly under the province will be finalized, and the goal is: "Towards building Ninh Binh province to basically meet the criteria of a centrally-administered city before 2030".
This is Ninh Binh's approach to implementing and concretizing the viewpoints and orientations set forth by the Politburo, such as: Resolution No. 06-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2022, of the Politburo on planning, construction, management, and sustainable development of Vietnamese cities until 2030, with a vision to 2045 (which clearly states that urban development must be sustainable in the direction of green, civilized, and distinctive cities, with people and quality of life at the center, and urban culture and civilization as the foundation for development, in accordance with each region); Resolution No. 30-NQ/TW, dated November 23, 2022, of the Politburo on socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the Red River Delta region until 2030, with a vision to 2045, and the Government's Action Program (which has outlined very important and appropriate viewpoints, policies, objectives, tasks, and solutions regarding the preservation, restoration, and promotion of the value of the "Red River Civilization" - "The first cradle of Vietnamese culture," with its diverse topography and rich cultural history; a region possessing the largest number of tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites that have been inventoried, ranked, and inscribed nationwide).
Thus, the strategic issue for Ninh Binh province today is: "After the reorganization and consolidation of district and commune-level administrative units, Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh will be developed into a Millennium Heritage City, within the overall goal of making Ninh Binh province essentially a centrally-governed city by 2030." The future Hoa Lu city will encompass almost the entire area of the Ninh Binh urban master plan. Nearly 30% of the new city's area will be within the core zone of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage site.
Thus, the selection of Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh as a Millennium Heritage City is an inevitable choice. Speaking at the scientific conference "Discussing Millennium Heritage Cities and Policy Implications for Ninh Binh Province," Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van affirmed: Ninh Binh's decision to develop into a Millennium Heritage City at this time is correct, appropriate, and consistent with reality as well as the Politburo's views and orientations on socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the Red River Delta region; implementing the Party and State's policy on preserving and promoting national cultural heritage, and on urban management and development in localities with ancient capital heritage and UNESCO World Heritage status.
In line with global urban development trends, Ninh Binh's choice to develop into a Millennium Heritage City represents a move away from the monolithic, compact urbanization model that is facing numerous challenges in Vietnam and worldwide today. Simultaneously, it aims for an urban model with high cultural content, a humane urban life, pristine nature, a balanced pace of life, and wealth creation through a knowledge-based economy.
Nguyen Thom
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