Ha Long sea culture has strong vitality

Prof. Dr., People's Teacher Nguyen Quang Ngoc, Vice President of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, was Head of the Department of Cultural Studies and Cultural History, Head of the Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Regardless of his position, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc is a devoted scientist with many outstanding contributions. He has many research works on marine culture, island systems and seaports. On the occasion of Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc's working trip to Quang Ninh, reporters from the Provincial Media Center interviewed him.

- There have been many studies on the history and culture of Quang Ninh. Professor, could you tell us what is the greatest value of Ha Long Culture?

Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc.

+ Ha Long Bay is a wonder that has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site three times. This is a great honor that not every place has. In fact, it is a natural wonder but the main thing is that it is preserved and honored by humans. Natural wonders are always associated with cultural heritage values. This is the place that witnessed the formation and development of ancient Vietnamese people from Soi Nhu Culture to Cai Beo Culture and then Ha Long Culture.

In particular, Ha Long culture is a great cultural resource that has condensed to form the Vietnamese cultural identity. Ha Long culture is the basis for creating resources that combine with maritime culture and continental culture to create the birth of the first states on the territory of our Vietnam.

That is the great value of the first Vietnamese maritime culture that created vitality for the Vietnamese nation from the founding of the country until now. Therefore, it is easy to understand why in the legend of Ha Long, it is associated with dragons, associated with Lac Long Quan - Au Co. The combination of maritime culture and continental culture, crystallizes the material and spiritual strength of the Vietnamese nation.

- How is that spiritual strength manifested in history, Professor?

+ Ha Long sea culture has a strong vitality. In Ha Long Bay, the values ​​are multiplied in new conditions. For example, during the Ly Tran dynasty or the beginning of the independence period, Bach Dang vitality was created. Bach Dang tradition created the source of strength for our nation to defeat the powerful empires in the world that invaded our country. Later, in the following periods, this sea area always gathered the strength of the whole nation. Therefore, it left a huge amount of heritage. In Ha Long alone, there are 90 cultural heritages, each heritage has a special value. Unfortunately, we have not exploited much. Even the most wonderful natural heritage in the world, we have not exploited much.

Ha Long Bay is an ideal place to organize art shows on cruise ships.

- According to the Professor, what should we do to better exploit those values?

+ Our country has about 3,000 islands, of which Ha Long Bay alone has 2,000 islands, which means it accounts for 2/3 of the country. Meanwhile, each island has a story that we know very little about. 2,000 islands are 2,000 stories about nature, culture and people that are extremely interesting.

Regarding the story of Ha Long rock islands, we need to have a new awareness of cultural heritage. Not everything left by previous generations is heritage. Heritage must be understood as a process of heritageization, a process of human recognition. The rock islands are very beautiful and interesting, but the community here must acknowledge them, must receive the assessment of protection and promotion of their value by the people living in the heritage area. The 2,000 rock islands have countless good stories that need to be multiplied.

However, not all of the 2,000 islands are heritages, but we must know how to turn these 2,000 islands into heritages. We must give them new stories. That is the way we enhance the value of Ha Long Bay heritage. That is a task within our reach that we will certainly be able to do if we want to preserve and promote the value of Ha Long Bay's sea and island heritage. The important thing is that we must promote its story to everyone. It is a story of cultural depth, the story of the rocky islands lies in spirituality. When people hear it, they must find it sacred. Although the story is abstract, they must see it as a source of spiritual strength. In reality, our promotion is still limited, visitors to Ha Long Bay only see what they can observe from the outside, which is just rocks and water, but it has not touched the hearts of visitors.

Many rocky islands in Ha Long Bay standing next to each other are imagined to look like dragons.

- Does that mean we have to exploit the marine economy better?

+ That's right. This is the era when the whole world reaches out to the sea. Without reaching out to the sea, we cannot become a powerful country. This is a great opportunity given by heaven for us to reach out. We are strong in the sea, getting rich from the sea. Green economy, digital economy, heritage economy still have to rely on the sea economy. There needs to be research to exploit and promote the value of Ha Long Bay in the combination of natural heritage and cultural heritage. Those two heritages blend together to enhance each other to create the precious value of Ha Long.

- Besides Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh also has other great heritages. According to the Professor, how should we connect these heritages?

+ Quang Ninh has advantages that cannot be found anywhere else. Besides Ha Long Bay, there is also a mountain system where Dong Trieu palace looks like a big dragon descending from above. That is also another wonderful natural wonder. The elders realized that this is the place where the soul of mountains and rivers converges, the most sacred and sacred place. That is why Taoism and Buddhism both converge here. Don't people say that Buddhists who have not been to Yen Tu have not yet entered the realm of cultivation?

Quang Ninh has the convergence of sea and island values ​​with mountains and rivers and cultural heritage. Yen Tu Buddhism associated with Truc Lam Zen sect, with King Tran Nhan Tong is the pinnacle of cultural values ​​of Ly Tran dynasty, the core soul of national culture. Going a little further to Con Son - Kiep Bac of Hai Duong or to Bac Giang is still that cultural region. If UNESCO honors the world heritage, it is a great honor. At that time, Quang Ninh has Ha Long Bay, a world natural heritage, and inside has a world cultural heritage, which is truly unmatched.

Love songs on Ha Long Bay are exploited and brought to the stage.

- According to the Professor, why can we say that Truc Lam Buddhism is the pinnacle of cultural values ​​of the Ly Tran period, the core soul of national culture?

+ In the politics of the Ly and Tran dynasties, the people-oriented politics was the core foundation. The spirit of Buddhism became a resource. The leaders realized that Buddhism had the ability to consolidate the strength of the community, the strength of the entire nation. After organizing the resistance against the Yuan-Mongol, Tran Nhan Tong became the Buddha Emperor who founded the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect. He gathered the strength of the entire people in building and protecting the country. After the resistance was successful, he gave up the throne and went to Yen Tu to practice. Although he practiced, he knew everything. Up there, he could establish strategies for the country.

- Thank you very much Professor for the interview!

Pham Hoc (Implementation)

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/van-hoa-bien-ha-long-co-suc-song-manh-liet-3350399.html