Nghe An focuses on preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage.
(Baonghean.vn) - In recent years, the preservation and restoration of historical sites and the revival of intangible cultural heritage have been given utmost attention by local Party committees, authorities, and the Nghe An Department of Culture and Sports.
Preserving the cultural heritage of the nation.
Nghe An is a land with a rich history, once a "borderland" and "strategic stronghold" of the nation, and also a place where six ethnic groups—Kinh, Thai, Tho, Mong, Kho Mu, and O Du—live together. The imprint of cultural heritage on Nghe An is therefore clearly evident, reflecting the long history of formation and development of the Nghe An cultural region, which is incredibly diverse and rich.
Regarding tangible cultural heritage, Nghe An province currently has 2,602 historical sites and scenic spots, of which 492 have been classified, including 6 special national historical sites, 145 national historical sites, and 341 provincial-level historical sites.
The system of relics in Nghe An includes all types: historical relics, architectural and artistic relics, archaeological sites, and scenic landscapes; among them, archaeological sites stretch continuously from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age (Tham Om, Lang Vac, Dong Truong, Dong Mom sites...).
In addition, there is a treasure trove of historical relics with religious and spiritual significance (communal houses, temples, pagodas, shrines, tombs, ancestral churches, etc.), possessing unique architectural and artistic value, such as Hoanh Son communal house, Trung Can communal house (Nam Dan), Sung communal house (Yen Thanh); and a system of temples such as Corn temple (Quynh Luu), Qua Son temple (Do Luong), Bach Ma temple (Thanh Chuong), Vua Mai temple (Nam Dan), Cuong temple (Dien Chau), Duc Hoang temple (Yen Thanh)...
A very typical type of historical site, characteristic of this land of outstanding people and rich cultural and revolutionary traditions, is the system of memorial sites dedicated to leaders and famous figures such as the Phan Boi Chau Memorial Area (Nam Dan), the Le Hong Phong Memorial Area (Hung Nguyen), the Phan Dang Luu Memorial Area (Yen Thanh)...; especially the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Area in Nam Dan and the system of historical sites related to the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement.
Closely linked to tangible cultural heritage is a unique system of intangible cultural heritage. To date, the province has inventoried 463 heritage items belonging to various categories such as festivals, folk performances, customs and traditions, folk knowledge, etc.
Among these, nine heritage items have been included in the national intangible cultural heritage list, and one heritage item, the Nghe Tinh folk songs (Vi and Giam), has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage.
In 2023, the Department of Culture and Sports carried out many active activities in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values. Regarding tangible cultural heritage, the work of compiling dossiers for ranking, restoration, renovation, repair, protection, and promotion of the value of cultural heritage sites was consistently given attention and achieved significant results. During the year, procedures for ranking 15 sites were completed, including 1 special national site (King Mai Temple), 2 national sites (Nine-Room Temple and Heroic Temple), and 12 provincial-level sites.
In addition, urgent restoration and preservation work was carried out on 13 historical sites using provincial budget funds; restoration and preservation was carried out on 3 historical sites under the national target program; and restoration and preservation was carried out on historical sites according to Resolution 284. Furthermore, guidance was provided for organizing ceremonies to receive the ranking certificates for 11 historical sites; and 100% of the assigned targets for inventorying ancient artifacts and relics were completed.
Also in 2023, the Department of Culture and Sports advised on the organization of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cultural Tourism Area Project within the National Special Monument of the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Area and the Nine-Tier Waterfall Project at the tomb of Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan in Nam Dan district. Projects implemented included: Preservation and restoration of Hoanh Son communal house and Phan Boi Chau Memorial Area; Upgrading and reorganizing the exhibits at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum and the Museum of Ethnic Cultures of Western Nghe An; Restoration and renovation of Mr. Vi Van Khang's house; Digital transformation at museums…
Panoramic view of the Cultural Tourism Area Project within the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site.Regarding the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, last year, the Department of Culture and Sports, in coordination with localities and units of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, successfully organized the Lang Sen Festival commemorating the 133rd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2023) and the Nghe Tinh folk song festival with many rich and unique activities.
In addition, the Yen Luong Temple Festival (Cua Lo town) and the Thap Nien Su Le Festival (Do Luong district) have been submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for appraisal and inclusion in the national list of intangible cultural heritage; support has been provided to 152 folk song clubs, including 44 newly established clubs and 108 regularly operating clubs; and guidance has been provided for the ceremonial aspects of 22 traditional festivals…
Ms. Tran Thi My Hanh, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, stated: “In the coming time, in the work of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage, the department will focus on key tasks: Continuing to invest in restoring and promoting the historical value of the Kim Lien Special National Historical Relic Site to become a special place for educating patriotic and revolutionary traditions, worthy of the cultural heritage value of President Ho Chi Minh; advising on the development of a Project on preserving and promoting the value of Nghe Tinh folk songs (Vi and Giam) for the period 2025-2030 to be submitted to the Government for approval; advising the Provincial People's Committee to implement and promote the contents of Resolution 28/2022/NQ-HĐND of the Provincial People's Council stipulating some policies to support the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values in the province…”
In 2024, the Department of Culture and Sports will coordinate and organize the following activities: Collaborating with Ha Tinh province to organize a series of activities commemorating the 10th anniversary of Nghe Tinh folk songs being recognized by UNESCO; collaborating with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize the "Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Space 2024" exhibition in Vinh City…
- Ms. Tran Thi My Hanh - Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Nghe An Province
