A bright spot in the social mobilization for the restoration and preservation of historical relics.

(Baonghean)Recognizing that the restoration and preservation of historical relics also serve to promote cultural identity and contribute to building a prosperous homeland, Thanh Chuong district has, in recent years, mobilized internal resources and effectively socialized the restoration and preservation of cultural and historical relics in the district.

The Nguyen Duy family ancestral temple in Thanh Phong commune preserves several documents and artifacts related to the fact that in September 1930, the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee chose it as its headquarters and directed the Nghe An-Tinh Hoa Soviet movement. Since 1988, the Nguyen Duy family ancestral temple has been recognized as a national historical relic, becoming a significant site for educating many generations of children in Thanh Chuong district about revolutionary traditions. Descendants of the Nguyen Duy family have contributed hundreds of millions of dong to renovate and restore the temple.

Currently, the entire Nguyen Duy family ancestral temple complex consists of three well-built sections: the upper, middle, and lower halls. Speaking with us, Mr. Nguyen Duy Tu, the acting clan leader, said: “The restoration of the temple is not only to preserve a structure of historical and cultural value, but also to educate about the family's traditions and the revolutionary traditions of our homeland; and to connect descendants from North to South, so that future generations will know about their predecessors.”

The Ngọc Sơn village communal house has recently been restored.

Speaking about the social mobilization efforts in the restoration and repair of historical relics, Mr. Vo Van Hai, Head of the Culture Department of Thanh Chuong District, affirmed: Among the more than 200 historical and cultural relics in the district, both classified and unclassified, none have suffered serious deterioration due to regular restoration. Since 2005, the district has allocated a separate budget each year to support the restoration of deteriorating relics, with the funding gradually increasing over the years. However, according to Mr. Hai, this support is only a small amount, sufficient to restore and repair only a few relics each year. The rest is mobilized from social contributions.

Ngoc Son commune, one of the communes with the strongest social mobilization movement in Thanh Chuong district, has many famous communal houses and temples. Particularly noteworthy is the Ngoc Son communal house, built during the reign of Emperor Tu Duc. With its five-bay wooden architecture and exquisite, unique carvings, it was chosen as the place of worship for the village's guardian deity and served as the cultural and political center of the entire region. Having endured the vicissitudes of history, the Ngoc Son communal house has suffered serious damage and deterioration.

In response to the wishes of the people of Ngoc Son, especially the elderly who have left their hometown and want to restore the traditional village landscape, in 2012, the People's Committee of Ngoc Son commune decided to establish a fundraising committee to call on the people of Ngoc Son to contribute to the restoration of the communal houses. In a short time, nearly 2 billion VND was raised; the Ngoc Son communal house was restored and rebuilt, along with the construction and repair of two other old communal houses, Phuc Xa communal house and Nguyet Bong communal house.

Ms. Vo Thi Hong Van, head of the Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club, happily shared: “Since the communal house was restored, the club has been able to perform there, and everyone is moved and happy. From now on, the members of the club no longer have to worry about borrowing houses or yards to practice like before. Every time we perform at the communal house, in front of a large crowd of villagers and the village's guardian deity altar, I feel like I'm back in my childhood, going to the communal house with my mother and sister to watch the older members sing folk songs.”

When asked about his approach to mobilizing social resources, Mr. Nguyen The Dong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ngoc Son commune, shared: "Projects must benefit the wider community and demonstrate to the people that their contributions have practical value. To supervise the projects, we have established many committees such as: a construction management committee, a mobilization committee, a supervision committee, a construction committee, a materials supply and reception committee... each committee operates efficiently and transparently."

Each year, Thanh Chuong district mobilizes approximately 2 billion VND from social contributions. In addition, the district and province have allocated over 300 million VND from their budgets for the protection and restoration of dilapidated historical sites. Many other sites are also being restored through central government funding, such as the Vo Liet Temple, Bach Ma Temple, and the Tran Tan family church. The district is also developing several projects to solicit assistance from various departments, organizations, and individuals.

With the involvement of all levels and sectors, historical sites in Thanh Chuong district have been restored and preserved for many years, promoting their historical and cultural values; many sites have become destinations for schools to organize traditional talks. However, overall, compared to the existing potential, the number of classified historical sites in Thanh Chuong district is still low (30 sites), many sites have been restored and repaired but on a small scale, and the socialization and preservation of historical sites have only been limited to family clans and villages. To promote the values ​​of historical sites in the district, Thanh Chuong needs a more specific and long-term plan.

Text and photos: My Ha