Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation Associated with Spiritual Tourism Development

The land of "Thien Ban Luc Ky" - Vu Ban district has a long history, converging, preserving and spreading many traditional cultural heritage values, which are favorable conditions for the locality to develop cultural, spiritual and festival tourism.

Singing Cheo on the river in the "Peaceful singing" festival in Qua Linh village, Thanh Loi commune.

With the orientation of economic, cultural and social development based on promoting traditional cultural values, in recent years, the District Party Committee and People's Committee of Vu Ban District have thoroughly grasped and seriously and effectively implemented the policies of the Party and State on protecting, preserving and promoting the values ​​of the homeland's cultural heritage associated with the development of spiritual tourism. In particular, focusing on promoting investment mobilization to build and develop infrastructure for tourist attractions at historical - cultural relics and festivals in the area; establishing a master plan for the cultural heritage system to restore, embellish, decentralize and delegate authority in the management and protection of relics and the organization of traditional festivals in the locality. The district encourages communes and towns to establish clubs to preserve, maintain and promote national cultural values ​​with a variety of forms: singing, singing, ca tru, dancing, etc. Mobilize the participation of folk artists in the fields of practicing Mother Goddess worship, performing traditional arts and prestigious people in the community to participate in organizing and operating cultural and artistic activities, ensuring citizens' rights in creating, practicing, transmitting heritage and enjoying cultural achievements.

Up to now, the district has 4 recognized intangible cultural heritages including: "Practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship - Representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity", in which the Phu Day relic complex is the center of practicing the Mother Goddess worship; national intangible cultural heritages: "Cầu văn ritual of the Vietnamese in Nam Dinh", "Phu Day festival", "Qua Linh village festival" ("Thai Binh singing festival"). The district has 176 relics in the protection list; of which 39 relics have been ranked (9 national relics, 31 provincial relics). The management and restoration of relics are carried out according to the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage. Implementing the motto "The State and the people work together", up to now, more than 800 items of more than 170 relics in the district have been invested in restoration and embellishment. The relics have become annual spiritual tourist destinations for many visitors, especially during the Phu Day Festival and the Vieng Spring Fair taking place on a large scale at more than 20 relics including a complex of temples, pagodas, mausoleums, and palaces covering an area of ​​nearly 10km2 in the two communes of Kim Thai and Trung Thanh; typical relics include: Tien Huong Palace, Van Cat Palace, Mau Lieu Hanh Mausoleum, Bong Palace (Nguyet Du Palace), Giap Ba Palace, Trinh Temple, Cong Dong Temple, Chau Ba De Tu Kham Sai Temple, Mau Thuong Temple, Mau Thoai Temple, Dong Cuong Temple... Other unique relics in the district such as: Giap Nhat Temple in Quang Trung Commune; Dong Temple in Thanh Loi Commune; Vinh Lai Temple - Pagoda in Vinh Hao Commune; Vu Nu Temple in Hop Hung Commune... also attract many tourist groups to visit, worship, research, and learn about the background, career of the worshiped figures and historical and cultural values. In addition, places of worship for cultural celebrities also attract many groups of tourists such as: the Temple of the First Prize Winner Luong The Vinh in Thanh Loi commune; the memorial areas and houses of musician Van Cao in Lien Minh commune, poet Nguyen Binh in Cong Hoa commune, historian Tran Huy Lieu in Kim Thai commune...

The work of propagating, introducing and promoting the image of the festival, the tangible and intangible cultural values ​​of heritage and relics on mass media is focused. Every year, to effectively manage and organize the two major festivals of the year, the Vieng Spring Fair (January 7 and 8) and the Phu Day Festival (from March 3 to 8 of the lunar calendar), Vu Ban district establishes a Steering Committee and a Festival Organizing Committee consisting of functional departments and local authorities; develops a plan to implement regulations on organizing festivals according to the provisions of law. In addition to maintaining unique forms of religious and spiritual activities such as Chau Van ritual, Mau Thinh Kinh procession, torch procession (at Phu Day festival), the Management Board of relics, temples and palaces also preserves and organizes traditional cultural, artistic, and sports activities, folk games such as: singing Van contest, Chau Van singing, Cheo singing performance, human chess competition, word pulling festival (Hoa Truong Hoi), dragon flying, lion - lion - dragon dance at Phu Van Cat and Phu Tien Huong. After more than 30 years of being allowed by the State to reopen the festival, Phu Day Festival has now fully restored its cultural and spiritual values; becoming one of the 5 major traditional festivals of the country, an attractive spiritual tourist destination, attracting millions of domestic and international visitors to attend each year.

Simulation of the dragon boat welcoming Princess Huyen Tran from Champa back to her country. (Internet photo)

To exploit and promote the spiritual cultural values ​​of beliefs, Vu Ban district has synchronously implemented solutions such as: Researching and clarifying the characteristics and cultural identity of the homeland; promoting customs and practices, eliminating backward customs in community cultural activities; restoring the cultural values ​​of folk art forms, folk dances, religious and spiritual performances, festivals, and folk games. Maintaining and establishing folk culture and art clubs such as: Van Cao Music Club of Lien Minh commune; Chau Van Club of Kim Thai commune; Nguyen Binh Poetry Club of Cong Hoa commune... Strengthening propaganda, mobilizing, calling for, and mobilizing resources to restore and embellish relics and memorial houses to serve planning, construction, and connection projects of tourist routes and destinations in the district and connecting with neighboring localities. Typical examples include: mobilizing socialization to renovate and upgrade the Van Cao Musician Memorial Area; Renovating, embellishing and expanding the national historical and cultural relic Ho Son Pagoda, Lien Minh commune in 2022 and 2023; the national historical and cultural relic Luong The Vinh Temple was approved by the Provincial People's Committee and is undergoing renovation and conservation of degraded items...

Among the relics in Vu Ban district that have been recently restored, Ho Son Pagoda is a unique architectural work, becoming a special spiritual tourist destination. Coming to Ho Son Pagoda, in addition to praying for health and peace; admiring the statue of King Tran Nhan Tong carved from a single sapphire slab, 5.1m high, weighing more than 100 tons, visitors can also learn about the life of Princess Huyen Tran - a virtuous and beautiful daughter of the Tran family of Dai Viet, who devoted her entire youth to bringing peace, prosperity and expanding the country's territory. With a total cost of restoration, embellishment and expansion of hundreds of billions of VND from the socialized source of people's meritorious vows, up to now, the relic site of Ho Son Pagoda has a total area of ​​nearly 80,000 m2, divided into 2 areas. The spiritual area on the mountain has 5 architectural works: Ho Son Pagoda, Truc Lam ancestral house, pagoda ancestral house, Huyen Tran Princess Temple and Mau Palace. In addition, there are a number of auxiliary works such as: the lady's tower, the boy's tower, the stele house, the tomb tower, the statue of 18 Arhats. In particular, right in front of Ho Son Pagoda is the heritage tree of white leaves Sanh with an estimated age of over 700 years. The area below the mountain is the landscape: yard, garden, ancient laterite well, lake interspersed with guest house construction items, dragon boat symbolizing the ancient boat that brought the Princess back after King Che Man passed away, allowing her to return to her homeland; monk's house and architectural works with Buddhist characteristics such as: Buddha tower, statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, statue of Buddha Maitreya... Every year, in addition to holidays such as: Thuong Nguyen festival, Buddha's birthday, Vu Lan festival, on the 5th of January, the memorial service for Princess Thuy Bao takes place and from the 9th to the 14th of April (the death anniversary of Princess Huyen Tran), the villagers organize the Ho Son Pagoda festival. The ceremony includes activities: palanquin procession, sacrifices...; The festival includes activities such as: Cheo singing, Van singing, lion and monk dancing, vegetarian food making contest, making sticky rice cakes and offerings to Buddha and Saints...

In order to effectively exploit and promote the spiritual and material values ​​of the historical, cultural and spiritual relic system in the area, contributing to socio-economic development and improving the spiritual life of the people, Vu Ban district will continue to mobilize social resources to invest in the restoration and embellishment of relics, preserve, conserve and promote the value of heritage; strengthen the promotion and attraction of businesses and individuals to invest in building infrastructure and building local tourism products. Coordinate with central and provincial news agencies, newspapers and mass media to promote and advertise the potential and value of tangible and intangible cultural heritages, exploit and develop a variety of traditional cultural tourism products typical of the homeland. Promote the promotion and dissemination of the potential, strengths, investment policies and mechanisms of the province and district; strengthen linkages in tourism development, build reasonable spiritual tourism routes and destinations on each festival occasion; Organize tourism development cooperation programs between the district and localities inside and outside the province.

Article and photos: Khanh Dung

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202503/vu-ban-bao-ton-di-san-van-hoa-gan-voi-phat-trien-du-lich-tam-linh-5f86c89/