The center of Uong Bi City (Photo: baoquangninh.vn)

Uong Bi has two special national relics, one being the Yen Tu Monuments and Landscape Complex. Thousands of years ago, this place was a religious and cultural center.

Associate Professor Dr. Dang Van Bai, Vice Chairman of the National Cultural Heritage Council, said the heritages are important assets for making Uong Bi a green, smart, modern “heritage city”.

“Uong Bi has a boat grave 2,000 years old. Some important historical events occurred here during the northern invasion period and the resistance wars against the French and the Americans. Uong Bi has the Yen Tu complex, which is closely associated with Vietnamese Buddhism. The local administration should have action programs to restore and preserve heritages and link them to tourism,” Mr. Bai said.

Researchers say that Yen Tu, where King Monk Tran Nhan Tong came to meditate and founded the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect in late 13th century, embodies many historical and cultural values of Vietnam. Yen Tu is an important part of the dossier being submitted to UNESCO for recognition of the Yen Tu (Quang Ninh) - Vinh Nghiem (Bac Giang) - Con Son, Kiep Bac (Hai Duong) inter-provincial complex as a world cultural heritage. Uong Bi should pay special attention to protecting and promoting its heritage and associate it with tourism development.

Dr. Tran Duc Nguyen, Head of the Cultural Heritage Department at Ha Noi Culture University, said: “Yen Tu Monuments and Landscape Complex has tangible and intangible cultural heritages and national special forests. Management work should engage experts of history, Sino - Vietnamese characters, architecture, and cultural and natural preservation.”

Quang Ninh province has organized seminars to collect documents and expert opinions on leveraging cultural values as resources for sustainable development.

Vu Mien