The 8 special national relics in Quang Ninh are not only scenic spots, architectural works, archaeological sites, or memorial sites for famous people, but also places that preserve unique cultural values of the locality, especially the island culture and culture of the Ly - Tran dynasties.
Unique island culture
According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province currently has 636 relics/relic clusters, including 8 special national relics, 56 national relics, 101 provincial relics, 471 inventoried, classified and unranked relics. Among the 8 special national relics in Quang Ninh, there are 4 relics related to the sea and island areas: Ha Long Bay Scenic Area, President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site on Co To Island, Van Don Commercial Port and Tra Co Communal House Architectural and Artistic Relic.
The most prominent and still vibrant marine culture is Ha Long culture. According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc, Vice President of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, Ha Long Bay witnessed the formation and development of ancient Vietnamese people from Soi Nhu culture to Cai Beo culture, and then Ha Long culture. In particular, Ha Long culture is a great cultural resource that has condensed to form the cultural identity of Vietnam. According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim, Vice President of the National Cultural Heritage Council, Ha Long cultural creative space is closely linked to Bai Tu Long, built in a world-class majestic landscape, and will certainly contribute to building Vietnam's marine ecological civilization.
Further away is Van Don Commercial Port and Tra Co Communal House. Van Don was the busiest seaport in Vietnam from its establishment (in 1149) to the end of the 17th century. The vestiges of Van Don Commercial Port are still reflected in the ancient wharves, where millions of pieces of porcelain, house foundations, communal house foundations, pagoda foundations, and ancient bronze coins remain. Van Don Commercial Port is a place where cultural spaces converge, telling the story of the maritime trade route. Tra Co Communal House was built in the 15th century, associated with the legend "Tra Co people, Do Son ancestors". Tra Co Communal House was ranked as a National Historical and Cultural Relic in 1974 and was then recognized as a Special National Relic in 2023.
Located in the offshore island area, the historical relic of President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site on Co To Island includes: Monument, campus, stele, temple, exhibition house, souvenir, potato field and salt field. The relic is a place for cadres, soldiers and people to show their respect to beloved Uncle Ho; at the same time, affirming that it is a " sovereignty landmark" of Vietnam on the island area, a precious national heritage that needs to be preserved, honoring historical and cultural values associated with educating the tradition and history of the nation.
A Tran Dynasty cultural area
The remaining 4 special national relics are all related to the Tran Dynasty in history, including: Bach Dang Victory Historical Relic Site 1288, Yen Tu Relic Site - Scenic Landscape, Tran Dynasty Historical Relic Site, Cua Ong Temple - Cap Tien Temple Relic Site. Looking more broadly, Yen Tu, Bach Dang and the Tran Dynasty relic site are all components in the dossier of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Relic Site - Scenic Landscape Complex, which has more than 70 relic sites with 4 clusters of special national historical relics. Quang Ninh has a convergence of sea and island values, with mountains and rivers and cultural heritage. If the Ha Long Bay area is the center of the first cultural space, the second cultural creative space is in the high mountains of Yen Tu. Yen Tu Buddhism is associated with the Truc Lam Zen sect, with the Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong as the pinnacle of cultural values of the Tran Dynasty, the core soul of national culture.
According to Professor Le Hong Ly, Chairman of the Vietnam Folklore Association, folk festivals in this area are not only local, but also a system of festivals throughout the Yen Tu range. Particularly in Quang Ninh, related to Yen Tu and Tran Dynasty culture, festivals can be mentioned such as: An Sinh Temple Festival, festivals of villages along the Yen Tu range, Bach Dang Festival, Cua Ong Temple Festival, Cap Tien Temple Festival... Therefore, folk festivals as well as other types do not stop at one point but spread over a large space and have connections between places to create an extremely attractive spiritual cultural space. Moreover, these festivals are not just simple religious festivals such as pilgrimages to the land of Buddha but many folk festivals take place around the relics of this area to create an attractive cultural and religious space.
The fusion of maritime culture and continental culture creates a crystallization of material and spiritual strength. For example, the Bach Dang historical relic site not only demonstrates the Tran Dynasty's feat in 1288, but also demonstrates the art of war on rivers and at sea. Later, in the following periods, this estuary and seaport area always gathered the strength of the whole nation. If the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Quang Ninh will have two spaces for cultural creativity, one in the high mountains and one in the sea. These two heritages will be the wings to elevate the culture and regional and international position of Quang Ninh province.
Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/noi-luu-giu-nhung-gia-tri-van-hoa-dac-sac-3364988.html
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