Awakening festival heritage: Golden opportunity for Ninh Binh tourism

Amidst the flow of modernization, traditional festivals in Ninh Binh are facing many opportunities for development but also many challenges. The increase in quantity needs to be accompanied by quality of organization and awareness of preservation, otherwise, cultural values ​​are at risk of being commercialized and lost over time.

Festival heritage - cultural treasure and tourism motivation

According to incomplete statistics, after the merger, Ninh Binh province currently has more than 5,000 historical and cultural relics and about 750 traditional festivals maintained and organized annually. From January to March of the lunar calendar alone, hundreds of festivals have been restored and opened, attracting a large number of people and tourists. The richness of festivals not only reflects the depth of history but is also an attractive spiritual tourism product, playing an important role in the economic and cultural development strategy of the locality.

Traditional festivals, which are a unique form of folk cultural activities, are always closely associated with community life. With sacrificial rituals, performances, folk games, etc., festivals are where the community expresses its respect to ancestors, predecessors and national heroes, while vividly recreating cultural values ​​that have been refined over many generations.

Trang An Festival is held on the 18th day of the third lunar month every year at Trang An Eco-tourism Area to commemorate the merits of Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong.

According to Mr. Ngo Thanh Tuan, Deputy Director of Ninh Binh Department of Culture and Sports , the festival is a clear reflection of the cultural traditions of the community, a symbol of the spirit of village solidarity preserved from generation to generation. Not only having spiritual significance, the festival is also a place for people to gather and communicate with nature and the universe, helping people return to their cultural roots and live again in a sacred space imbued with national identity. Musician Sy Thang, member of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association, said that the feeling when coming to the festival is like being immersed in the flow of national culture, living fully in the moments of sacred harmony and creativity with the community.

Conservation amidst the wave of commercialization

Through the organization of major spring festivals in Ninh Binh and many other localities, it can be seen that the value of festivals is not only limited to the cultural aspect but also has a clear economic significance. In the context of sustainable tourism development, festivals have become a special tourism product, contributing to promoting the local economy and promoting the image of Vietnamese land and people to international friends. However, the rapid development of festivals also poses significant challenges. Some festivals are overly staged, organized mechanically according to a predetermined model, losing their originality. In many places, there are even commercialization and superstitious activities, affecting the cultural space of festivals and the senses of visitors.

The nature of festivals is diverse and imbued with regional cultural nuances, but the current reality shows that many festivals are monotonous, making people and tourists feel bored. The restoration of relics that does not meet standards also distorts the landscape, affecting the integrity of tangible cultural values. According to Mr. Ngo Thanh Tuan, to overcome this situation, it is necessary to first focus on propaganda work, raising public awareness of the cultural and historical values ​​of festivals, thereby appreciating, preserving and promoting them proactively.

At the same time, specific measures should be taken to eliminate superstitious and offensive elements in festivals; promote the role of organizations such as the elderly, youth, women, and veterans in organizing and managing, thereby building a sense of community responsibility in preserving cultural heritage. Encouraging artisans and people with knowledge of traditional rituals to participate in guiding and teaching the next generation is an important solution to prevent the risk of losing intangible cultural values.

The organization and management of festivals should be identified as a key task in the current period, especially for localities located in heritage areas. In addition to honoring traditional values ​​and national heroes, promoting the voluntary spirit of the community in organizing festivals, along with support from the State budget, will create an important boost so that festivals not only come alive in cultural life but also contribute effectively to the development of tourism and the local economy.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/danh-thuc-di-san-le-hoi-co-hoi-vang-cho-du-lich-ninh-binh-20250711094941656.htm