Implementing Resolution 16-NQ/TU of the provincial Party Committee on the arrangement of district and commune-level administrative units for the period of 2023 – 2030, the province will merge Ninh Binh city and Hoa Lu district in 2025, associated with shaping the new administrative unit after the merger as a first-tier millennium heritage city.
Ninh Binh - a sacred land that boasts numerous outstanding figures, famous landscapes and destinations, have preserved various cultural and historical values.
In the past recent years, the province has carried out numerous solutions to promote the value of “Trang An culture” in developing socio-economy and building modest, graceful and friendly Hoa Lu people, thus spreading the core values of Ninh Binh’s land and people.
Outstanding values of Trang An culture
Some 3,000 years ago, Ninh Binh was inhabited by pre-historical humans. Dozens of traces of early humans were found in Thung Lang Valley in Tam Diep city, Dang Dang cave in Nho Quan district, Man Bac archaeological site in Yen Mo district and inside Trang An complex.
In the 10th century, Trang An culture has marked an important milestone in shaping the culture of Dai Viet – Vietnam today.
Archeological traces, palaces, citadels, temples, pagodas, bricks, and stone pillars carved with Buddhist scriptures in Nhat Tru pagoda and Thai Binh Hung Bao Coins prove the brilliant development of the Trang An culture of the ancient Vietnamese humans.
Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tuong at the Vietnam Academy of Social sciences said that using the term “Trang An culture” instead of “Hoa Lu culture” because regarding the time perspective, “Trang An culture” has existed not only for 42 years under the Dinh and Ly dynasties but it has also lasted for a long time after that.
From a spatial perspective, the Trang An culture is not only limited inside Hoa Lu ancient capital area but also extends to the surrounding areas.
The 10th century witnessed the most brilliant development of the Trang An culture. The 10th century marked an important milestone of the Vietnamese history which ended 1,000 years of being ruled by the Northern invaders and opened a new independent state of Dai Co Viet.
This period also saw the shifting from Tang dynasty-related culture to Vietnamese folk culture. Therefore, the Trang An culture was characterized with the spirit of national independence.
According to Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tuong, it is proud that the Trang An culture has not been faded away but it has still been preserved and upheld in the modern life. Basing on available resources of tangible and intangible culture heritages, future Hoa Lu city could be built into an millennium heritage city.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Van from the Hanoi Culture University stated that Trang An is an ancient land with continuous human occupation from the pre-historic time.
In the early time of Vietnamese history, Trang An had a vital position in terms of national defence and security, politics, economy and culture. It used to be the capital of the first feudal state of Dai Co Viet. During their existence and development process, Trang An people have shaped up and upheld precious traditions and turn them into internal strengths and solid foundation for national construction and protection.
Spreading core values
Cultural creativeness of local people over thousands of years have left for Ninh Binh various relic sites, heritages and antiques that bear outstanding scientific, historical and aesthetic values. These would lay a foundation for Ninh Binh to build its own brand.
The province has concentrated on investing in the culture sector with specific and long-term visions. Projects on upgrading and restoring relic sites have received due attention to serve tourism development.
Cultural events and art programmes have been organised regularly in a bid to enrich the spiritual life for local people.
With its rich potentials and strengths of culture heritages, in the past few years, the province has organised “Ninh Binh Festival” as a big cultural event that affirms the brand of Ninh Binh where connects, integrates and spreads outstanding culture heritages of the Vietnamese people and mankind.
Currently, the province is hastening preparation for the third Ninh Binh Festival themed “The flow of heritage”.
Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, said the Ninh Binh Festival is the cultural and tourism event that helps define the brand of the millennium heritage city and promote the image, culture and people of Ninh Binh to domestic and international visitors.
Ninh Binh is making efforts to improve its image and define its local brand in an attempt to turn culture into a spiritual foundation, internal strength and important momentum for the country’s growth.
In the time to come, the province will continue to implement numerous measures to promote cultural resources by conducting scientific researches, review, and classify tangible and intangible cultural heritages in a bid to build a plan on studying and preserving cultural heritage values.
The culture sector will pay special attention to preserving and upgrading relic sites, and restoring intangible cultural heritages in order to preserve cultural heritages in combination with socio-economic development.
At the same time, it will launch more cultural products and resolve harmoniouss relations between cultural preservation and exploitation for the province’s development, Cuong added.
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