Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival opens in World Heritage space
WVR - On the evening of September 26, at Kiep Bac Temple, Hai Phong City organized a ceremony to commemorate the 726th anniversary of the death of national hero Tran Hung Dao and to open the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2026. Simultaneously, the World Heritage brand identity of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac was announced.
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The program was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau; Deputy Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Committee Nguyen Kim Son; Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung; Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Central Mass Organizations Pham Tat Thang; Secretary of the City Party Committee and Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hai Phong City Le Ngoc Chau. From the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Deputy Minister Trinh Thi Thuy was present.
Also in attendance were representatives from various committees, ministries, sectors, localities, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, armed forces, international organizations, non-governmental organizations in Vietnam, along with a large number of citizens and tourists.
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| The delegates offer incense at the Commemoration Ceremony. (Source: Van Hoa) |
Commemorating Duc Thanh Tran, Continuing Historical Values
The commemoration ceremony took place in the Con Son - Kiep Bac relic area, highlighted by the art program “Van Kiep - Heroic Spirit of a Thousand Years”. The festival drum combined with music, dance, and performance art recreated historical imprints associated with Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan and the Van Kiep land.
In his opening speech, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee and Head of the Organizing Committee of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Festival Nguyen Minh Hung stated that every autumn, people across the country turn towards Van Kiep with the principle “August, the month of Father’s death anniversary”, to remember Duc Thanh Tran - Quoc Cong Tiet Che Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan.
Con Son - Kiep Bac is a land that converges values of history, culture, beliefs, and landscape, linked to the nation's history of building and defending the country.
This is also where Tran Hung Dao established the Van Kiep military base, trained troops, stored provisions, and together with the Tran dynasty's army and people achieved victories in the resistance wars against the Mongol - Yuan invasions in the 13th century.
This year's art program consists of two parts: “Van Kiep Festival Drum” and “Singing and Dancing Heroic Spirit of a Thousand Years”. According to People's Artist Dat Tang, the program's chief director, the performance format is structured around singing and dancing combined with festival drumming, replacing the epic form, thereby telling the heritage story through a stage language rich in symbolism.
Expanding Heritage Experience Space
A highlight of this year's festival is the announcement of the World Heritage brand identity for the Yen Tu–Vinh Nghiem–Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes. The brand identity was developed based on coordination and consensus among localities, aiming to create a unified image for the entire heritage complex.
Along with traditional rituals such as the offering ceremony, seal opening, peace prayer, lantern festival, procession, worship, and the death anniversary of Duc Thanh Tran, the festival is expanded with many cultural and artistic activities.
At Con Son, folk art programs, water puppet shows, and cultural activities take place from September 26 to October 3, creating additional space for residents and tourists to explore the heritage.
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| Many rituals are performed at the Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Area. (Source: Van Hoa) |
After the complex was recognized as a World Heritage by UNESCO, Con Son - Kiep Bac is placed in a broader connection with heritage components in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Bac Ninh. The connection between localities, relic management units, tourism enterprises, and the community is implemented towards forming linked experience routes.
According to Le Duy Manh, Deputy Head of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Management Board, preserving and promoting heritage values need to go hand in hand with creating conditions for the public to access more conveniently.
Cultural, artistic, craft village, culinary, and tourism activities are expanded but still based on the historical and cultural values of the relic.
| On July 12, 2025, at the 47th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, Kiep Bac Relic and Scenic Complex, located in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Bac Ninh, was recognized as a World Heritage. This is Vietnam's 9th World Heritage and the second inter-provincial World Heritage of Vietnam. |
