Along with Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago, this is the second World Heritage Site that Quang Ninh province co-owns. It is a great honor, but it also poses challenges in preserving and promoting the value of the heritage to serve economic and social development. Vietnam News Agency reporter interviewed Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ninh province Nguyen Viet Dung on this issue.
The Con Son scenic relic site in the Con Son - Kiep Bac relic site (Hai Phong) is associated with the lives of many famous people in history, of which the most typical is the temple of National Hero, World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Trai. The temple is located at the foot of Ngu Nhac and Ky Lan mountains, leaning against To Son, creating the position of "left blue dragon, right white tiger". Photo: Thanh Dat/ VNA
Sir, Quang Ninh province is co-owning 2 World Heritages. In your opinion, how does this benefit the province in terms of economic and social development?
The fact that Quang Ninh province co-owns two World Heritage sites, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago and Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex, is a great honor and also a strategic opportunity for sustainable socio-economic development.
These are two World Cultural Heritages of outstanding global value, helping Quang Ninh affirm and consolidate its position on the international cultural and natural tourism map. The heritages honored by UNESCO open up opportunities for development in tourism, services, and culture, contributing to attracting high-quality tourists and opening up the possibility of international cooperation in investment, research, education, and conservation.
Owning two World Heritages of Quang Ninh together with the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi creates a connecting axis between three typical heritages of the North, both deepening the cultural and historical values, and complementing each other - one natural heritage, one cultural heritage - creating a balanced development structure between "nature and people". This is consistent with the development orientation of Quang Ninh which is to shift from "brown to green", developing heritage tourism, eco-tourism, high-quality spiritual tourism, with great added value, spreading widely and most importantly creating sustainable livelihoods for the community and people.
The title of World Cultural Heritage not only honors a land, but is also a "soft" resource to inspire, arouse pride, responsibility and common action of the whole society in preserving cultural identity, creating sustainability for the future.
Sir, so what direction does Quang Ninh province choose in developing the "heritage economy"?
Quang Ninh identifies the development of “heritage economy” as a strategic direction in sustainable socio-economic development. We do not approach heritage as a mere tourism resource, but rather see it as a special cultural resource, which has both economic value and is a pillar in building identity, trust and human development.
With that vision, the province is implementing specific groups of solutions such as: Perfecting the management institution, preserving and promoting heritage values on the principle of preserving the original state, maintaining authenticity, and linking with harmonious and controlled development.
Quang Ninh will invest in infrastructure connecting heritage areas in a “soft” direction, ensuring harmony in landscape, ecology, culture and experience. Not urbanizing heritage, but modernizing responsible access to heritage.
The ancient beauty of Thau Ngoc bridge in Con Son pagoda, part of Con Son - Kiep Bac relic site (Hai Duong). Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA
The province will develop creative economic models based on heritage, such as cultural and spiritual tourism in Yen Tu, OCOP products associated with traditional craft villages, Truc Lam Zen - Buddhism experience services, heritage education in schools... At the same time, the province promotes public-private cooperation, regional and international linkages in preserving and exploiting heritage according to UNESCO standards, with the active participation of local communities.
We call it the "culturalization of the economy" approach, bringing cultural values into economic development, so that the economy serves the long-term preservation of heritage.
Possessing World Heritage sites is a great benefit and potential, but what challenges does it pose for Quang Ninh province in managing World Heritage sites, especially inter-regional and inter-provincial heritage sites?
Yes, the World Heritage title is a great honor, but also a heavy responsibility. For Quang Ninh province, the biggest challenge lies in three aspects. That is, chain-like, inter-regional and inter-provincial heritages such as Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac require an inter-sectoral, inter-local coordination mechanism, overcoming administrative limits to preserve them synchronously.
Previously, on November 8, 2024, the People's Committees of the three provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, and Hai Duong (now Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong City) agreed to sign and issue Plan No. 09/KHPH-QN-BG-HD, which is expected to be the Management Plan for the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes after it is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In the coming time, the People's Committees of the three provinces and cities will continue to direct competent agencies to review and complete the Management Plan for the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes and submit it to competent authorities for consideration, approval, and official promulgation for immediate implementation after this complex of monuments and landscapes is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, ensuring compliance with the provisions of Vietnam's Cultural Heritage Law and the 1972 World Heritage Convention and international treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory.
In addition, the pressure of economic and tourism development can lead to the risk of encroachment or "commercialization" of heritage if not well controlled. Therefore, Quang Ninh always maintains the view that development must go hand in hand with conservation. All activities of restoration and embellishment to promote heritage values in the core and buffer zones of the heritage are carefully assessed, ensuring compliance with the provisions of the law on cultural heritage and the 1972 International Convention for the Protection of World Heritage.
In addition, Quang Ninh province will focus on raising public awareness, especially among people living in heritage areas - a key factor. We will promote heritage education and propaganda in schools, Buddhist communities, and tourism workers, and consider them "the guardians of the heritage soul".
Protecting and promoting World Heritage is not only the responsibility of one industry or one locality, but also the responsibility of the whole region, the nation, and of today's and future generations.
Thank you!
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/danh-thang-yen-tu-vinh-nghiem-con-son-kiep-bac-chinh-thuc-la-di-san-van-hoa-the-gioi-nguon-luc-a424415.html
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