Since the day the Ho Dynasty Citadel (Vinh Loc) was honored by UNESCO and officially listed as a world cultural heritage (June 27, 2011), this destination has become increasingly known to domestic and international tourists. Since then, the life of the residential areas in the Western Capital has become increasingly bustling, the peaceful countryside now seems to be "energized".
Youth Union members of Vinh Tien and Vinh Long communes regularly organize environmental cleaning in the Ho Dynasty Citadel heritage site.
Ancient Citadel - New Life
The Ho Dynasty Citadel (also known as Tay Do Citadel, Tay Giai Citadel, An Ton Citadel) is located in the two communes of Vinh Long and Vinh Tien. One of the unique features that contributes to affirming the value of the World Cultural Heritage of the Ho Dynasty Citadel is its close association with the life of the community of residents in the Tay Do land. Up to now, the two communes of Vinh Tien and Vinh Long are typical localities of Vinh Loc district in building cultural life.
Under the scorching sun of the summer days of June, the familiar road leading to the South Gate of the Ho Dynasty Citadel took us to visit Vinh Tien commune. Here, the villages of Tay Giai and Xuan Giai of the commune (where households are located in area 1 - the strictly protected area of the Ho Dynasty Citadel heritage) are rural areas with many unique historical and cultural values. The impression when visiting the residential areas here is the simplicity, cool green space, clean and beautiful. According to the report of the People's Committee of Vinh Tien commune, currently 6/6 villages have achieved the title of cultural residential area; more than 70% of the people regularly participate in cultural - artistic, physical training - sports activities. Up to now, the majority of local people participate in agricultural production, only a part participates in tourism services. However, everyone is very aware of joining hands to protect the heritage, environmental sanitation work in the inner city and neighboring residential areas is carried out regularly.
Chairman of Vinh Tien Commune People's Committee Vu Van Tuan said: "Recently, the Ho Dynasty Citadel heritage has increasingly attracted tourists, so the people pay special attention to protecting the heritage as well as the surrounding environmental landscape. Currently, there are a number of families participating in the business of OCOP products and some local specialties in the area displaying and introducing tourism products. Each product introduced to tourists is a source of pride for the homeland and the heritage. Also through tourism activities, there have been positive changes in the awareness as well as the consciousness of preserving and promoting the good traditional cultural values of local people. In particular, the implementation of civilized tourism behavior has contributed significantly to building cultural life in residential areas".
There are still concerns...
In recent times, along with the management, research, excavation and conservation of the Ho Dynasty Citadel heritage, the work of promoting the value of the heritage site to domestic and international friends has been focused on and effectively implemented by Thanh Hoa province and relevant agencies. Each year, the heritage site attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. In the first 6 months of 2024, this place welcomed and served over 132,000 visitors, reaching 82.7% of the yearly plan. Notably, the tourist market is increasingly rich and diverse, not only attracting domestic visitors or researchers, but now the Ho Dynasty Citadel has become an attractive destination for many domestic and international tourists.
It can be said that tourism development in recent years has achieved and exceeded the set goals. However, the difficulties in the lives of people in the core area are increasingly evident. With more than 300 households in Dong Mon village (Vinh Long commune), Tay Giai and Xuan Giai (Vinh Tien) living in the core area (area 1), generations have built their lives one after another, but regulations related to housing construction and repair have put people in a "difficult position". Head of Tay Giai village Truong Trong Huy confided: In recent years, the number of visitors to Ho Dynasty Citadel has increased, and local people are very excited. From that, people are very aware of protecting heritage and actively participating in environmental sanitation activities. However, Tay Giai village currently has 131 households living in area 1, with strict protection regulations, so new housing construction is not allowed, and repairs and renovations must be approved by local authorities and the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation Center. Up to now, many houses have deteriorated and collapsed, causing people to fall into a situation of "it's bad to leave, but it's not good to stay"...
Deputy Director of the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation Center Nguyen Van Long added: “People in Vinh Long and Vinh Tien communes, especially more than 300 households living in Area 1, understand that the heritage left by their ancestors is their resource. Therefore, although the regulations on management, use and repair of houses in Area 1 are very strict, over the past time, people have complied well and joined hands to preserve and promote the value of the heritage. However, life is increasingly developing, so to ensure heritage management while meeting the living needs of the people is really a huge pressure for both the management agency and more than 300 households here.”
The ancient citadel is a “living” relic, and the implementation of commitments to UNESCO in the work of preserving the value of the citadel certainly needs to be done well. However, the lives of the people here are a continuation and continuous development, not at any cost or exchange... Therefore, along with implementing well the regulations on preserving and promoting the value of the heritage, there needs to be appropriate solutions and orientations so that the landscape, architecture and life of the community become increasingly beautiful, and so that the Ho Dynasty Citadel heritage can truly be an international cultural tourism destination.
Article and photos: Hoai Anh
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/song-trong-long-di-san-noi-mien-dat-tay-do-218152.htm
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