Quynh Luu: Innovation in relic management and festival activities

(Baonghean) -Quynh Luu has 29 ranked historical and cultural relics, including 17 national relics, 12 provincial relics, many famous sacred relics such as Con Temple (Quynh Phuong), Xuan Uc Temple (Quynh Lien), Phung Hung Temple, Xuan Hoa Temple (Quynh Xuan), King Ho Temple, Binh An Temple - Bao Minh Pagoda (Hoang Mai Town), Vu Temple (Quynh Vinh), Cua Gan Temple (Quynh Hoa)... Every year, festivals attract a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to visit, sightsee and offer incense.

In previous years, the management of relics and festivals in the district was not strict, because there was no specialized management board. The work of protection, preservation, restoration, and revenue management was not given due attention..., which significantly affected the quality of festival activities and caused inconvenience to tourists...

In order to improve the quality of relic and festival management, and at the same time, to make the festival truly become a cultural activity with practical significance, gradually satisfying the cultural enjoyment and spiritual needs of tourists coming to visit and offer incense, in 2012, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district was the unit that promptly implemented the policy of the Provincial People's Committee, establishing the Con Temple Relic Management Board consisting of 9 members, 11 members in the ceremony and protection team; at the same time, building the Operating Regulations, assigning specific responsibilities to the members.



Offering ceremony at Con Temple Festival. Photo: Nguyen To Canh

After nearly 1 year of operation, with the close direction of the District People's Committee, the solidarity and unity in the Relic Management Board and the synchronous coordination of the locality, the Con Temple Management Board has put the management of relics and festivals into order and made significant progress. The festival activities took place healthily and created a good impression in the hearts of visitors.

In addition to creating favorable conditions for tourists to visit and offer incense at Con Temple, the revenue and conservation and restoration work of the relics are also better managed and implemented. From June 2012 to March 29, 2013, the total revenue at Con Temple reached over 3.3 billion VND, of which more than 2 billion VND was paid to the State Treasury. From this source of revenue, not only has it ensured regular spending for the management board's activities but also contributed significantly to the capital for the restoration and restoration of the relic. A number of construction items of Con Temple have been and are being restored and renovated to make the relic more and more solemn, such as the central hall, lower hall, left wing, right wing, three-entrance gate, welcoming gate, guard house, and surrounding wall of the relic area.

To effectively promote the values ​​of the relic, the Con Temple Relic Management Board always focuses on managing and preserving the relic and building a cultural lifestyle in festival activities. The staff is carefully selected, has a level of understanding, culture in communication and is assigned the responsibility of managing and protecting specific relics. In addition to the task of ensuring security and order, actively inspecting the relics, doing a good job of environmental sanitation, preserving construction items, worship objects, and statues in the relics, the manager is also responsible for promptly detecting, preventing and proposing strict handling of violations, such as illegal encroachment and construction at relic sites, taking advantage of religious beliefs to engage in superstitious activities that affect the nation's fine customs and traditions; not allowing the loss of property of the relics and of visitors. In particular, the management board also does a good job of promoting and advertising the relic, building a team of proper service staff, communicating politely and modestly, guiding visitors, and offering incense attentively and thoughtfully...

Besides the Con Temple relic, with the attention of all levels and sectors from the central to local levels, especially mobilizing social resources, many relics in the district have also focused on embellishing and restoring items, best meeting the spiritual needs of people and tourists from all directions such as Kim Lung temple (Mai Hung commune), Quy Linh temple (Quynh Luong), Bao Minh pagoda (Hoang Mai town)...

With innovation in the management and conservation of relics and the preservation of national cultural identity in festivals, relics in Quynh Luu district have been creating cultural beauty in spiritual activities, while effectively promoting the values ​​of relics in the area.

Ho Thanh Khuong (People's Committee of Quynh Luu district)