Historic Choice
At the scientific workshop "Defining Ninh Binh identity associated with building local brands", Senior Lieutenant General Bui Van Nam, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Deputy Minister of Public Security, former Secretary of Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee shared: "More than 1,000 years ago, Hoa Lu was chosen as the capital of Dai Co Viet country.
Returning to Hoa Lu, Trang An today, looking up at the towering limestone relics, immersing oneself in the majestic natural scenery, feeling the heroic spirit converging on this land, meeting the children of Ninh Binh - a place where the sacred land gives birth to talented people, anyone would feel proud.
It was on this land that our ancestor Ly Cong Uan set sail to find Thang Long, and from Thang Long, after a thousand years of "carrying swords to open up new lands", we have a long, wide, and aspirational Vietnam like today.
Ninh Binh is also a place of convergence and cultural and religious exchange in the most humane sense. This land is a testament to the Vietnamese people with different religious beliefs, living in harmony, peace, mutual respect and humanity. Ninh Binh is also a land with diverse, rich and extremely attractive terrain resources on the background of unique landscapes and a long history of human culture as well as the history of Vietnamese culture, with a culture of the Capital City that continues and echoes to this day". Throughout thousands of years of building and defending the country of our people, Ninh Binh has always been a strategic location, marking heroic historical milestones in protecting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
Currently, the vestiges of the ancient capital Hoa Lu in Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district are one of the four core areas of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex with two outstanding cultural and natural factors, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 2014, the first and only dual world heritage in Southeast Asia; at the same time, assessed by the Director General of UNESCO as one of the exemplary and typical models of successful combination between economic development and sustainable tourism while still being able to respect nature, ensuring the harmony of interests of the people, the State and enterprises.
Speaking at the 1,055th Anniversary of Dai Co Viet State held in Ninh Binh on April 28, 2023, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council emphasized: "The legacy left by Dai Co Viet State, King Dinh Tien Hoang and his predecessors and the achievements that Ninh Binh province has achieved in the past time are extremely valuable; a solid foundation for the Party Committee, government and people of Ninh Binh to move towards the goal of becoming a fairly developed province in the Red River Delta region by 2030".
Inheriting and continuing the glorious historical tradition of our ancestors; under the attention, leadership and direction of the Central Government; the Party Committee, government and people of Ninh Binh have always been united, proactive, creative, early identified the potentials and strengths and made timely, correct and steadfast decisions. In each stage of development, Ninh Binh province has adjusted policies and development strategies in accordance with actual conditions and available resources.
Since the early 2000s, the province has shifted its development strategy from "Brown" to "Green", shifting from material production industry to tourism development, focusing on preserving natural landscapes, historical relics, and zoning off and temporarily banning the exploitation of limestone mountains and special-use forests.
Up to now, Ninh Binh has stopped attracting projects that occupy large areas of land, use outdated technology and contribute low economic value. The province's economy has continuously grown well, its scale has expanded, and its structure has shifted in the right direction.
From 2022, Ninh Binh will become a province that balances its own state budget and regulates revenue to the central budget; per capita income by the end of 2022 will rank 12th out of 63 provinces and cities. In particular, Ninh Binh has developed harmoniously among regions, and along with the development process, it still retains its own values and identities. Ninh Binh tourism industry has made strong changes, is among the 10 provinces with the highest number of visitors and is one of the key tourist destinations of the country and the world.
Thus, it is not until now that Ninh Binh has implemented the strategy of developing a green economy and a circular economy, but this has been the guiding viewpoint throughout many Congress terms, has been shaped early and has had methodical steps. This direction has caught up with the global trend. Today, digital economy, circular economy, and green growth are development models chosen by many countries. Cultural and historical values along with conservation work have been and are very important economic assets for countries and regions to use as a premise to develop cultural industries and heritage economies.
Inevitable trend
With its unique characteristics and potential in terms of nature, culture and history, the Party Committee, government and people of Ninh Binh are determined to build Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh into a Millennium Heritage City. It can be said that the above goal is consistent with the potential of Ninh Binh and the general development trend around the world.
On August 23, 2023, the Executive Committee of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 16-NQ/TU on the arrangement of district and commune-level administrative units in Ninh Binh province for the period 2023-2030. It includes the goal by 2025: "Implement the merger of Ninh Binh city and Hoa Lu district, and at the same time arrange the subordinate commune-level administrative units, associated with shaping the nature of the new administrative unit after the merger as a Heritage City, based on 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" and the goal: "Towards building Ninh Binh province to basically meet the criteria of a centrally-run city before 2030".
This is the direction of Ninh Binh to implement and concretize the viewpoints and orientations set forth by the Politburo, such as: Resolution No. 06-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2022 of the Politburo on planning, construction, management and sustainable development of Vietnamese urban areas to 2030, with a vision to 2045 (clearly stating the viewpoint that urban development must be sustainable in the direction of green, civilized, and identity-rich urban areas, taking people and quality of life as the center, urban culture and civilization as the foundation for development, suitable for each region and area); Resolution No. 30-NQ/TW, dated November 23, 2022 of the Politburo on socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the Red River Delta region to 2030, with a vision to 2045 and the Government's Action Program (which stated very important and appropriate viewpoints, policies, goals, tasks and solutions on preserving, embellishing and promoting the value of the "Red River Civilization" - "The first cultural cradle of the Vietnamese people", with diverse terrain and a long history of culture; the region owns the highest number of tangible and intangible cultural heritages that have been inventoried, ranked and listed in the country).
Thus, the strategic issue of Ninh Binh province at present is: "After arranging and merging administrative units at district and commune levels, Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh will be built into a Millennium Heritage City, within the common goal of bringing Ninh Binh province to basically meet the criteria of a centrally-run city by 2030". The future Hoa Lu city will cover almost the entire scope of the Ninh Binh Urban Master Plan. The new city will have nearly 30% of the core area of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Thus, the choice of Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh to become a Millennium Heritage City is inevitable. Speaking at the scientific conference "Discussing Millennium Heritage City and policy implications for Ninh Binh province", comrade Nguyen Tuong Van, Deputy Minister of Construction affirmed: Ninh Binh's choice to develop into a Millennium Heritage City at the present time is correct, accurate and consistent with the reality as well as the viewpoints and orientations of the Politburo on socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the Red River Delta; implementing the Party and State's policy on preserving and promoting national cultural heritage, on urban management and development in localities with the Ancient Capital heritage, possessing the title of world heritage by UNESCO.
Along with the trend of urban development in the world, Ninh Binh's choice to develop into a Millennium Heritage City is a direction to escape the compact, monolithic urbanization model that is facing many challenges in Vietnam as well as the world today. At the same time, it aims at an urban model with high cultural content, a humane urban life, fresh nature, a reasonable pace of life, and enrichment through intellectual economy.
Nguyen Thom
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