The minister made the suggestion during a tour of historical relic sites in the Pho Hien complex on January 21.

Pho Hien was once a bustling commercial port on the Red River, second only to the capital city of Thang Long, during the 16th and 17th centuries. It was well-known among foreign traders, especially from China, Japan and the Netherlands.

Although Pho Hien is no longer as busy and crowded as it was in the old days, the architectural complex of the town still remains with nearly 60 historical and cultural sites.

One of the critical components of Hung Yen’s tourism promotion is a dual focus on restoring cultural heritage sites and preserving intangible heritages, such as “ca tru” (ceremonial singing), “trong quan” (folk singing contest between men and women groups) singing and “cheo,” (traditional opera) singing, he said.

He suggested the locality encourage local businesses to engage in the restoration and management of the complex while establishing connections with travel agencies in neighbouring localities to facilitate additional tours of the Red River delta region.

The minister also advised Hung Yen to choose attractive sites among the recognised heritages as cultural tourism highlights.

Hung Yen province is now home to over 1,200 cultural and historical relics, 160 of which were recognised as national heritages, alongside with thousands of antique objects and documents.