Vinh City 'positions' itself as an attractive destination through heritage tourism

Unique heritage area

Emperor Quang Trung Temple is part of the national relic and scenic complex of Dung Quyet Mountain, Phuong Hoang Trung Do Citadel (Trung Do Ward, Vinh City). Photo: Thanh Cuong

Vinh Cityis one of the sacred lands with many historical and revolutionary relics. According to statistics, Vinh city has 80 relics and scenic spots, of which 25 are ranked, including 13 national relics and 12 provincial relics. In addition, the tangible cultural heritages in Vinh also preserve many unique intangible heritages such as: Festivals, folk beliefs, Nghe folk songs.

Among the ranked relics in Vinh city, there are many famous relics, known by many tourists. One of them is the Temple of Emperor Quang Trung in the complex of national relics and scenic spots of Dung Quyet mountain, Phuong Hoang Trung Do citadel (Trung Do ward, Vinh city).

Tourists visit Emperor Quang Trung Temple on Dung Quyet Mountain. Photo: TP

Located in the middle of a poetic pine forest at an altitude of nearly 100m above sea level, the temple is a sacred, majestic historical, cultural and spiritual work with unique architecture and sophisticated carvings...

Every year, Emperor Quang Trung Temple has two major holidays: the 29th day of the 7th lunar month - the death anniversary of Emperor Quang Trung, and the 5th day of the 1st lunar month - the anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi - Dong Da Victory.

Besides, there is Vinh Citadel located in the area of ​​3 wards: Cua Nam, Doi Cung and Quang Trung. Built in 1804 under the reign of King Gia Long and rebuilt in stone in the 12th year of Minh Mang, Vinh Citadel is a historical relic from the Nguyen Dynasty to the resistance wars of our people against colonial invaders; a place that records many changes in the land of Nghe An.

Diec Pagoda relic. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In particular, the Vinh Citadel moat area has now been renovated into a regulating lake embracing the Citadel area with a sturdy embankment, paved with clean bricks, planted with grass and trees to create a landscape, with railings and rows of lights, creating a poetic scene.

In addition, the system of temples and pagodas: Hong Son Temple, Diec Pagoda, Can Linh Pagoda... has ancient and magnificent architecture, with important festivals, and is a spiritual destination for visitors from near and far.

The system of revolutionary relics associated with the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement 1930-1931, the "red addresses" of revolutionary traditions, the patriotic spirit of many generations of people in the heroic Red City such as: Con Mo relic, Ben Thuy intersection, Heroic Red Village...

The Ben Thuy Junction relic is conveniently located on the North-South highway. Photo: TP

In recent years, the city has paid attention to the work of protecting, restoring, embellishing and promoting the value of relics, creating positive changes, contributing to promoting the economic and social development of Vinh City. Accordingly, the city has completed the restoration of 7/7 relic sites of Uncle Ho's visit to his hometown; restored and embellished many key relics such as Hong Son Temple, Tran Hung Dao Temple...

The city is currently continuing to call for investment.Quyet Mountain Park and Vinh Ancient Citadel Park Project,Diec Pagoda, Trung Communal House; Completed restoration and embellishment of 7/7 revolutionary relics of the Nghe Tinh Soviet period; Restored many severely damaged relics: Trung Temple (Hung Loc), Yen Due Temple (Dong Vinh), Mr. Nguyen Trung Ho's house (Ha Huy Tap); completed restoration and embellishment of Ha Ma Temple and the system of clan house relics ranked as provincial relics...

“Awakening” the potential of heritage tourism

With a dense system of relics and scenic spots, rich in sediments, and many diverse and rich festival activities, promoting the value of heritage into tourism products in Vinh city still has many limitations.

Intangible cultural heritages such as festivals at Quang Trung, Tran Hung Dao, Hong Son temples, folk beliefs, folk songs, and Nghe folk songs are only preserved and maintained, but have not yet promoted their tourism value or become economic products.

In fact, the number of historical, cultural relics and cultural heritages of the locality included in the province's fixed tourist spots, tours and routes is very modest. The Vinh Citadel relic and Vinh Citadel moat have been restored, embellished and renovated to be spacious, with beautiful and poetic scenery not unlike Hoi An in Nghe An, but they have only stopped as a stopover and souvenir photo spot for a few tourists and have not yet become destinations in tours and tourist routes.

Quyet Mountain Park is considered a "miniature Da Lat" but is very limited in attracting tourists. Photo: TP

Or likeQuyet Mountain Parkis considered as “miniature Da Lat” with attractive eco-tourism potential, but up to now, except for two major holidays of the year, the death anniversary of Emperor Quang Trung and the anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da victory, the number of visitors here is still very small. As for revolutionary relic sites such as: Con Mo, Lang Do, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Memorial House, General Chu Huy Man’s house… although built majestically with many artifacts, associated with historical evidence, they only stop at the level of being “red addresses” to educate revolutionary traditions for students in the area.

The system of temples, pagodas, and shrines also attracts people to offer flowers and incense on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, but has not yet become a spiritual tourist destination... The city's heritage system is very rich, but still faces many difficulties in orienting development, especially in linking to create unique tourism products.

To turn heritage sites into attractive destinations, it is necessary to promote heritage tourism products to tourists; strengthen links with travel companies to survey and design tours and routes associated with heritage sites in the city. Photo: TP

The reasons given are that the propaganda and promotion of tourism are not really effective; attracting investment in the tourism sector, especially investment in building tourism products is still limited; specialized agencies, wards and communes have not really paid attention to enriching and diversifying activities at the historical and cultural relic system to serve tourism development. Along with that, there is no connection between tours, spiritual tourism routes, and relic sites of the city with other localities.

In order to effectively exploit cultural heritage resources into tourism products, the city recently organized a conference on cooperation in developing tourism in three localities Vinh - Nam Dan - Cua Lo to connect attractive destinations for tourists; build a "City tour to explore Vinh city's cultural heritage", introduce and promote heritage tourism products to tourists; strengthen links with travel companies to survey and design tours and routes to attract and increase the number of tourists, opening up opportunities to attract investment and develop destinations.

The Vinh Citadel has been renovated with a beautiful, poetic landscape not unlike Hoi An in Nghe An, but it has only stopped as a stopover and souvenir photo spot for a few tourists, not yet a destination in tours and tourist routes. Photo: Nhat Lan

At the same time, diversify tourism products to fully exploit heritage values ​​through investing in upgrading destinations into tourist resorts, eco-tourism areas, entertainment and recreation areas combining religious activities and festivals; allocating adequate resources from the budget and socialization for the conservation of heritage values ​​to increase the attractiveness of destinations; strengthening environmental protection measures in relic and heritage sites; improving the quality and quantity of human resources serving tourism; linking with travel agencies to build tours and routes associated with relics and scenic spots in the area. Strengthening propaganda and promotion of the potential of heritage tourism in Vinh city...

With the advantage of being the tourist center of the province, an important destination on the roadCentral Heritage, with rich and diverse cultural heritage resources, will be an impressive highlight to help Vinh city position its brand as an attractive and distinct destination.