Cultural heritage - The pride of Bac Ninh

Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac Cultural Night” in Paris, France, on May 31, 2024.

Vast and unique cultural treasury

Bac Ninh-Kinh Bac, a land of “extraordinary people and sacred earth,” is rich in historical, cultural, and revolutionary traditions. It is the birthplace of the Ly Dynasty - a dynasty that founded and developed the Dai Viet civilization. Historically the hub of Buddhism and also the country’s first centre of Confucianism, this region has forged and crystallized a diverse, rich, and distinctive system of cultural heritage over thousands of years.

Currently, Bac Ninh is home to 1,589 typical historical-cultural relics, including 4 special national relics, 204 national relics, and 457 provincial relics; 18 artefacts and groups of artefacts have been recognized as national treasures. Bac Ninh proudly boasts 4 intangible cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO: Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs, Ca tru (ceremonial singing), the practice of worshipping the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms of the Vietnamese people, and the tug-of-war games and rituals of Huu Chap village. Additionally, Bac Ninh has 8 intangible cultural heritages listed as national heritage.

The “Dong Ho Folk Painting” craft is currently under consideration by UNESCO for urgent safeguarding after being approved for submission by the Prime Minister.

Not only does it harbour numerous cultural heritages, but this region is also known as the land of traditional folk festivals, with nearly 600 large and small festivals; 140 craft villages, including 62 traditional ones; various forms of folk performing arts such as classical opera, Cheo (traditional opera), drumming, water puppetry, and folk games. Additionally, thousands of rituals, customs, legends, anecdotes, call-and-response folk songs, and stories about historical figures and ancestors related to the human life cycle are preserved and passed down from generation to generation by the communities of Bac Ninh–Kinh Bac. The people of Bac Ninh are hospitable, value morality and relationships, and are always open-hearted in welcoming visitors.

All these elements converge to form a Bac Ninh rich in traditional cultural heritage, a resource for the province to develop cultural tourism. It can be said that the cultural heritage of Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac is a precious asset of the community in the province; a symbol of continuity and a bridge connecting the nation's past, present, and future.

"Back to Quan ho Land 2023” Festival.

Preservation and promotion of heritage

Recognizing the importance of protecting and enhancing the value of cultural heritages, alongside focusing on socio-economic development, Bac Ninh province continually invests resources into conserving and promoting various forms of cultural heritage with specific policies for each conservation field.

Efforts in disseminating and promoting cultural heritage are emphasized through various rich and diverse forms, helping to raise awareness and responsibility among government levels and the community in heritage conservation and promotion. The province has pioneered digitization projects for the sustainable preservation of the homeland's cultural heritage and also completed projects for producing documentaries to promote typical cultural heritages, creating opportunities for Bac Ninh’s cultural heritage to integrate into modern society.

The Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism annually advises the provincial People’s Committee to support the restoration of 50-70 state-ranked relics. In 2023 alone, the specialized agency completed the dossiers for ranking eight provincial relics, three national relics, one special national relic, and one national treasure recognition file, guiding the procedures for the restoration of 78 relics while maintaining inspections and guidance on management, protection, and promotion of relic values in the province; developing a pilot project to design and produce souvenir products for tourism from cultural heritage values and national treasures.

Bac Ninh is a national leader in issuing regimes and policies for treating artisans in the field of intangible cultural heritage; these “living human treasures” play an essential role in preserving and promoting cultural heritage values.

A typical example of the province’s commitment to leadership, direction, and investment in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage values is the series of action programs to preserve and promote the value of Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs. Following its recognition by UNESCO, the province implemented numerous policies and practical measures to rejuvenate this heritage in contemporary life.

Besides fulfilling commitments to UNESCO, the province has intensified efforts in publicizing and promoting Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs through various media, investing in organizing many large-scale political and cultural diplomacy events to promote heritage. Highlights include the annual “Back to Quan ho Land” festival, organizing art exchanges, connecting and promoting Quan ho heritage domestically and internationally, and maintaining Quan ho singing programs on boats...

The province’s policies over time have had meaningful, practical impacts on the material and spiritual life of the people. Typical is the policy of honouring and treating artisans and professional artists, supporting original Quan ho villages, practising Quan ho villages, and exemplary Quan ho clubs... These are sources of encouragement and motivation for artists, actors, and artisans to be more passionate in their professions, actively contributing, teaching, and enhancing the value of heritage in community life; encouraging the next generation of artisans (young people) to actively participate and contribute more to the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values in general, and Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs in particular.

Alongside conservation efforts, the inventory and documentation of intangible cultural heritage also continuously receive direction and attention from government levels, especially with the consensus and support of the local people. Notably, at the beginning of spring 2024, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Bac Ninh proactively advised and proposed to the provincial People’s Committee, actively bringing traditional folk performing arts to perform at some relics and tourist spots in the province, both enhancing the quality of destinations, stimulating tourism, and continuing to promote the heritage and image of cultured, developed Bac Ninh homeland.

In the context of international integration, Bac Ninh province always leads in spreading cultural heritage to the international community. On May 31, in Paris, the provincial People’s Committee, in cooperation with Vietnamese representative agencies in France, organized the “Bac Ninh-Kinh Bac Cultural Night” to commemorate 15 years since the Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs were honoured by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2009-2024). In addition to enjoying Quan ho tunes at the event, guests were also introduced to the unique Dong Ho folk painting art of Bac Ninh province.

These relentless efforts of Bac Ninh province demonstrate the province’s commitment to continuing to prioritize tasks related to building culture and people, focusing resources, conservation solutions, and promoting the value of cultural heritage linked with tourism development... contributing to ensuring that these cultural heritages endure over time and spread everywhere.

TIN LIÊN QUAN
	Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac: Treasure trove of ancient and religious landmarks
	Bac Ninh: Promoting cultural identity in tourism development