Vietnam has just had another World Heritage Site.

The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son Kiep Bac complex was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on the evening of July 12 in Paris (France).

A pagoda on Yen Tu mountain seen from above. Photo: Yen Tu Pagoda.

At around 6:00 p.m. on July 12 (Vietnam time), the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex, located in the three provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh (formerly Bac Giang province) and Hai Phong (formerly Hai Duong province), was named a World Heritage Site at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) in Paris (France).

The recognition marks the second time Vietnam has had an inter-provincial World Heritage Site, the previous one being the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago (in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces).

Based on heritage records, the complex has a total area of approximately 4,910 hectares, of which the core zone is 525.75 hectares and the buffer zone is 4,380.19 hectares.

Tourists visit the sacred Yen Tu peak in June. Photo: Yen Tu Pagoda.

The center of the heritage is the Truc Lam Zen sect (a Buddhist sect founded by Emperor Tran Nhan Tong in the 13th century). Visitors can admire the stages through 12 heritage components in the core area.

The dossier was started in 2013 with the cooperation between local authorities and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which is also UNESCO's expert advisory body on World Heritage.

According to Professor Nikolay Nenov (Bulgarian nationality), President of the 47th Session of UNESCO, the newly recognized complex of Vietnam satisfies two criteria (iii) and (vi).

Criterion (iii) describes a structure that bears unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization, living or extinct.

Meanwhile, criterion (vi) requires that the monument be directly or tangibly linked (such as ideas, beliefs, artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance), to current events or traditions. This is also the criterion that the Committee values the most, according to information from the official website of UNESCO.

12 clusters in the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex include:

5 components in Quang Ninh : Yen Tu Pagoda (Hoa Yen), Ngoa Van Hermitage, Thai Mieu, Bach Dang stake field (Yen Giang) and Lan Pagoda (Long Dong).

5 components in Hai Phong (formerly Hai Duong province) : Con Son Pagoda, Kiep Bac Temple, Thanh Mai Pagoda, Kinh Chu Cave and Nham Duong Pagoda.

2 components in Bac Ninh (old Bac Giang province): Bo Da Pagoda, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (Duc La).

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/viet-nam-vua-co-them-di-san-the-gioi-post291616.html