Promoting the value of historical sites

Ban Bu historical - cultural relic and scenic area (Van Hoa quarter, Ngoc Lac town, Ngoc Lac district) is located in a place with poetic and charming natural scenery, a destination with unique traditional cultural values.

Promoting the value of historical - cultural relic and scenic spot Ban Bu The water procession ceremony is imbued with traditional culture at the annual Ban Bu cultural and tourism festival.

According to historical records, the Ban Bu cave area, located in Ngan village, Ngoc Khe commune (now Van Hoa quarter, Ngoc Lac town) was the place where the Lam Son insurgents gathered and manufactured weapons. Along with that, Ban Bu stream was the defense line that helped the Lam Son insurgents defeat the Ming army many times, typically the battle in November 1420. With this victory, the Lam Son insurgents established a solid defense line, creating momentum for the uprising to victory.

In 2005, Ban Bu Cave was ranked as a historical-cultural relic and scenic spot by the Provincial People's Committee and included in the master plan to preserve, restore and promote the values of this historical and cultural relic. The relic site includes the mountain area, caves, streams, Nan Pagoda, Mau Thoai Temple, Le Lai Temple, Le Loi Temple, Nguyen Trai Temple and Lam Son generals and soldiers.

Along with the mountain complex, caves, streams, one of the highlights in the relic site is Nan Pagoda (also known as Truc Lam Ban Bu Zen Monastery). Before 1420, the invading Ming army destroyed the pagoda, and people had to evacuate to Ban Bu cave to set up an altar for the water god and worship Buddha. According to Dai Viet Thong Su, after defeating the Ming army, King Le Thai To granted the people of Ngan village the right to worship Tinh Quang Ngoc Giam Thuy Loi Luu Thanh Thuy Than, and held an annual festival to celebrate the victory.

By 2016, Nan Pagoda was restored with beautiful and majestic architecture, located right at the foot of the mountain. In recent years, the pagoda has continued to be built with items such as the dining hall, kitchen, gate, abbot's quarters and some other works attracting a large number of Buddhists, people and tourists from all over to visit and sightsee.

In order to preserve and promote the value of the historical - cultural relic and scenic spot of Ban Bu, from 2018 to now, Ngoc Lac district has regularly organized the Ban Bu cultural - tourism festival (in 2020 and 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the festival was temporarily suspended) at the district level, attracting a large number of people inside and outside the province to participate. At the beginning of the festival, after the incense offering ceremony, young people will perform a water procession from the main shrine to the festival site. The water procession represents a close relationship between the past - present and future of the whole community. The festival takes place with many unique cultural and sports activities of the locality and the Muong ethnic group...

Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Ngoc Lac district Pham Dinh Cuong said: “In order to promote the value of the relic site, in recent years Ngoc Lac district has focused on conservation and restoration work associated with promoting traditional cultural values. In particular, the successful organization of the Ban Bu cultural and tourism festival in recent years has contributed to widely promoting the cultural, historical and natural landscape values here to a large number of people and tourists from all over the world. The festival has now truly become a cultural festival of the ethnic communities in Ngoc Lac and neighboring areas.”

According to Mr. Cuong, Ngoc Lac district has been mobilizing social resources to restore the historical and cultural relic site, Ban Bu scenic spot and the traditional cultural space of Ngoc Lac district. In the long term, the district will continue to invest in building infrastructure, expanding the space for tourism development, attracting organizations, individuals and businesses to invest in accommodation facilities, restaurants and tourism services, making the relic site an attractive destination.

With its unique cultural and historical values, in 2019, this relic site was ranked by the Provincial People's Committee as a historical-cultural relic, a provincial-level scenic spot and included in the master plan to preserve, restore and promote the values of historical, cultural relics, landscapes and scenic spots. Also in 2019, the relic site was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a provincial-level tourist destination.

Article and photos: Hoai Anh

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