Recently, the leader of Hai Duong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that during the survey, the scientific dossier was submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for recognition of the archipelago. Relics and scenic spots Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac “are world cultural heritages”, experts of Vietnam and UNESCO both assessed, Con Son-Kien Bac relic area replied very well meets the criteria of the world heritage, upholding the authenticity and integrity of the monument.
This is a favorable condition for this relic site to have a basis for the journey to become a world heritage site, meeting the expectations and pride of the Vietnamese people in general and the people of Hai Duong province in particular.
The land of the spirit, the masterpiece
Con Son – Kiep Bac relic site (Chi Linh city) is known as an important cultural and spiritual address in the mind of every Vietnamese.
The richness of converging tangible cultural values and the unique intangible cultural values shown in festivals associated with relics are the reason why this place attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year.
The relic area includes two main areas: Con Son pagoda and Kiep Bac temple.
If Con Son Pagoda is known as the ancestral place of Truc Lam Zen sect and is the place to save the life of the world cultural celebrity Nguyen Trai, Kiep Bac temple is associated with the name of the national hero Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran. Quoc Tuan with the feat of defeating the Nguyen Mong invaders 3 times.
Experiencing many historical changes, the relics and traditional festivals in Con Son – Kiep Bac still retain their values and have a special attraction.
Conservation efforts
In the middle of the autumn days of September 2022, Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen (in Yen Bai) mingled with the busy flow of people to Kiep Bac Temple. Yen noticed that, compared to 10 years ago, when she first came here, the monument has changed a lot. Besides the ancient and dignified features, there are flower gardens, lawns, and carefully cared for green trees full of life.
Yen’s comment is also the comment of the majority of tourists coming to Con Son – Kiep Bac recently. That partly proves the effectiveness of the relic conservation work implemented by Hai Duong province over the years.
Along with efforts to protect existing relics, Hai Duong has researched and restored architectural works of historical relics, based on archeological documents and results.
According to Deputy Director of Hai Duong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Truong Thang, implementing Decision No. 920/QD-TTg dated June 18, 2010 of the Prime Minister approving the master plan of the relic site. Con Son – Kiep Bac, Hai Duong have restored architectural works at Kiep Bac temple and Con Son pagoda.
The restoration is strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Cultural Heritage Law and the criteria for ranking UNESCO’s world heritage.
Deputy Head of the Con Son – Kiep Bac Relic Management Board Le Duy Manh added: “The monuments have been restored and embellished in accordance with the relic systems recorded in the epitaph and historical documents. At the Con Son relic, the bell tower, the nine-level lotus building, the Hau Duong, and the worshiping hall of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara were restored, and Am Bach Van was restored. At Kiep Bac relic, restored the dance house, main temple and relics related to Van Kiep fief of Thanh Tran in the 8th century…”
Along with that, the conservation and upgrading of the Con Son pagoda festival in January and the Kiep Bac temple festival in the eighth lunar month are also concerned by Hai Duong. Implementing the project of upgrading the festival since 2006, Hai Duong has restored the rituals and performances of the Holy Spirit, the military reunion on the Luc Dau River, the memorial ceremony for the death of Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan…
By 2012, Con Son – Kiep Bac was ranked as a special national historical and architectural monument. Con Son Pagoda Festival and Kiep Bac Temple Festival are recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The conservation of monuments is also actively and responsibly participating by local authorities.
Le Loi is one of two communes with relics located in the area. Mr. Nguyen Van Luan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Le Loi Commune shared: “We have directed the Commune People’s Committee every year to coordinate with the Relic Management Board to well organize the spring and autumn festivals of Con Son. – Kiep Bac such as: sending people to participate in festival ceremonies, ensuring security and order, and environmental sanitation… At the same time, directing the Fatherland Front and mass organizations to mobilize people and members raise awareness in preserving and promoting the values of relics. Most recently, it mobilized people to support the policy of expanding the route to Con Son-Kien Bac.”
Promoting the values of monuments
Currently, every year, the special national relic site Con Son – Kiep Bac attracts tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world to visit and worship. Particularly for the National Day holiday on September 2, 2022, there were over 7.2 thousand visitors to the relic.
In order for this place to become an attractive spiritual address for the people of the country, besides conservation work, Hai Duong has done a good job of information and promotion so that the value of the relic is spread and day by day. more developed.
Deputy Director of Hai Duong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Truong Thang said: “We also focus on training and fostering professional skills on cultural values, on maintenance and conservation. promote the value of heritage for officials at all levels and the team working at the Monuments Management Board.”
In order to raise the value of the relic, Hai Duong province and the two provinces of Quang Ninh and Bac Giang are urgently coordinating to build a scientific dossier “The complex of relics and landscapes Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son. , Kiep Bac” for submission to UNESCO for recognition as a world heritage site.
By August 2022, the construction of the Profile has completed phase 1. Leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently agreed to delay the construction of the Profile 12 months compared to the plan. approved to ensure the quality of records.
According to Mr. Le Duy Manh, the Relic Management Board has also coordinated with the Vietnam Institute of Archeology to research and conduct archaeological excavations at Thanh Mai and Huyen Thien and Sung Nghiem pagodas in Chi Linh city. At the same time, coordinate with the Institute of Geology to survey all the relics of Chi Linh related to the base of Van Kiep and the Manor of Van Kiep of Saint Tran in the 8th century.
According to the recommendations of experts, the Management Board has embellished the relic, moved the shops, and completed the related documents, especially the archeological excavation records at the Con Son – Kiep Bac relic site. from 1972 to present.
Along with that, the unit has completed the billboards and propaganda boards in English and Vietnamese on the mass media, the website of the Management Board and Fanpage to promote to a large number of people about The value of relics, famous people and the land of Chi Linh associated with Truc Lam Zen sect and the resistance war against the invading Yuan Mongols in the 8th century.
It is hoped that the relic complex will soon be recognized as a world heritage site. This will be a title worthy of the multifaceted values of the relic complex in general, and Con Son-Kiep Bac in particular.