Ninh Binh is the only locality in Vietnam and also one of the few in the region to possess the dual heritage title: Trang An World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Along with that, Ninh Binh inherits the cultural quintessence of the Hoa Lu capital land. On the basis of the heritage of the ancient Hoa Lu citadel and urban area, Ninh Binh is aiming to build an "Ancient Capital - Heritage City" that both preserves the sustainable values of the heritage and is civilized and modern.
More than 30 years before the province was re-established, Ninh Binh's economy was in difficulty, mainly dependent on agricultural production. But at that time, the Provincial Party Committee clearly saw the advantages of developing tourism, and services were an important economic sector. According to Mr. Dinh Duc Huu, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction, in the early 2000s, the Provincial Party Committee issued specialized resolutions on tourism development. This was the basis and driving force for the province to successfully protect the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex to become a World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 2014. Also in 2014, the province submitted to the Prime Minister for approval the Ninh Binh Urban Master Plan to 2030, with a vision to 2050 in Decision No. 1266/QD-TTg dated July 28, 2014.
According to the spatial development orientation, Ninh Binh urban area follows a multi-center urban model, including: The central urban area is mainly concentrated in Ninh Binh city, Thien Ton town; auxiliary urban areas are Bai Dinh urban area and Ninh Hai - Ninh Thang, Ninh Van, Mai Son centers connected by urban transport system and the cultural and natural heritage landscape area of Trang An Scenic Complex; the agricultural ecological area is a green buffer zone to protect Trang An Scenic Complex and limit the spreading development of the central urban area.
By 2016, the province had submitted to the Prime Minister for approval the Master Plan for the construction of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Ninh Binh Province in Decision No. 230/QD-TTg dated February 4, 2016. In which, it was determined that the nature of the site is a world cultural and natural heritage, with geological, geomorphological, natural landscape and historical - cultural values; a national tourist area, international scale, with historical - cultural - ecological characteristics; an area with mixed population.
The plans also identify: preserving and promoting the cultural and natural heritage values of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex; managing urban landscape architecture space and preserving cultural values in Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, traditional craft villages, relic clusters and single relics; in this area, no high-rise buildings will be developed, construction density and residential density will be reduced in accordance with international conventions and the Law on Cultural Heritage. Preserving especially important ecological landscape areas such as Trang An, Tam Coc - Bich Dong, Hoa Lu special-use primeval forest according to regulations...
According to the planning, to develop urban areas, it is necessary to continue investing in completing and upgrading the criteria of urban areas as a basis for upgrading urban types and forming new urban areas in accordance with the planning and urban development program. Building Ninh Binh city into a "Cultural, ecological, environmentally friendly" urban area, linking Ninh Binh urban development with tourism service development connecting the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex with Tam Coc - Bich Dong tourist area, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital... Renovating, embellishing, upgrading old urban areas combined with new construction to replace old works of no value, works that do not significantly change the land use structure and architectural landscape of the old urban area. Upgrading the old urban technical infrastructure system includes renovating, upgrading sidewalks, roads, alleys, and undergrounding technical infrastructure works. Strengthen inspection of implementation according to planning, ensure environmental sanitation, preserve landscape, beautify urban areas to be bright, green, clean and beautiful; launch a movement to build many civilized and model streets. Implement management, ensure the use of urban land for the right purpose, according to planning, economically and effectively.
After the Prime Minister approved the Ninh Binh Urban Master Plan, the province has had solutions to develop the urban area in parallel with the sustainable preservation of the values of the Heritage. In particular, recently, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 16-NQ/TU on the arrangement of administrative units at the district and commune levels in Ninh Binh province, period 2023-2030. The Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee issued Plan No. 138 on the arrangement of administrative units at the district and commune levels in Ninh Binh province, period 2023-2030. In particular, the goal by 2025 is to merge Ninh Binh city and Hoa Lu district, and at the same time arrange the affiliated administrative units associated with shaping the nature of the new administrative unit after the merger as "Ancient Capital - Heritage Urban Area", based on the unique values of natural geography - ecology, culture - history, and possession of world cultural and natural heritage. At the same time, complete the criteria for recognizing the new administrative unit after the merger as a type I urban area under the province; having the position of a regional and national tourism center, with global value; being the political - administrative, cultural, economic, educational - training, scientific - technological, high-quality service center, and international cooperation hub of Ninh Binh province.
According to architect Nguyen Trung Dung, Deputy Director of the Ninh Binh Institute of Planning and Construction: Currently, there is a clear distinction between the modern urban area on one side and the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex on the other. Therefore, we must identify development and conservation as two parallel tasks. If we want Ninh Binh urban area to develop with its own mark and characteristics of an Ancient Capital - Heritage urban area, the area adjacent to the Heritage needs to have a specific plan that clearly defines the modern urban area and the transitional area adjacent to the Trang An Heritage area, ensuring harmony, including the construction density and architectural form of the adjacent area. At the same time, it is also necessary to study the architecture of public works or residential houses, commercial services appearing in the transitional area to have a distinct architectural color with indigenous cultural colors so as not to destroy the landscape as well as preserve traditional values in the urban area.
Assessing the province's orientation to build Ninh Binh urban area as "Ancient Capital - Heritage Urban Area", Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc, Vice President of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, commented: Hoa Lu - Ninh Binh urban area has undergone more than a thousand years of change, sometimes narrowing, sometimes expanding, and this narrowing or expansion is based on the core of Hoa Lu Citadel, on the foundation of the heritage of the ancient Hoa Lu Citadel and urban area. Since mid-2014, when Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was recognized as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the demand for tourism development, cultural development and cultural industry has increased, promoting faster and stronger the process of rural urbanization, gradually raising both urban and rural areas in the ancient Hoa Lu Citadel area to gradually approach the model of Ancient Capital - Heritage urban area.
The outstanding values of the capital - the first imperial capital of Dai Viet nation, as well as the first medieval urban - port city leaning on the mountain, overlooking the river, opening to the East Sea in the Northern region have created the most typical identity values of the historical - cultural space of Hoa Lu Capital, as the main resource, strong driving force and fundamental advantage for Ninh Binh to be able to elevate to become an Ancient Capital - Heritage of Civilization, modernity - a centrally-governed city representing the growth pole in the South of the Red River Delta. This is also the core content, the most important basis for Ninh Binh to study the brand format of Hoa Lu - Ninh Binh urban area in the development orientation to 2030 and vision to 2045.
Nguyen Thom
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