Submit nomination dossier "The Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac" to UNESCO for recognition as a world heritage site
On September 29, the Government Office announced the opinion of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on sending the nomination dossier of "Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex" to UNESCO for recognition and listing as a world heritage site.
Accordingly, it is agreed to assign the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to sign the nomination dossier on behalf of the Government to send to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and relevant agencies to carry out the necessary procedures to send the dossier to the UNESCO World Heritage Center, ensuring the time limit as prescribed by the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the law on cultural heritage.
The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex belongs to the three provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Giang and Hai Duong. In which, Con Son - Kiep Bac of Hai Duong is an indispensable link in the Truc Lam Buddhist relic system, where layers of sediments of Vietnamese culture are still preserved. This is also the bridge between the capital Thang Long and the Truc Lam Buddhist Holy Land. Since then, the Truc Lam Zen sect has developed and spread widely...
Carrying special cultural and historical values, 10 years ago, on December 20, 2013, the Government Office issued Official Dispatch No. 10766/VPCP-KGVX announcing the opinion of the Deputy Prime Minister "Assigning the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to preside over, guide, and coordinate with the People's Committees of Quang Ninh and Bac Giang provinces to prepare a dossier on "Yen Tu Complex of Monuments and Landscapes", submitting it to the Prime Minister for permission to submit it to UNESCO for consideration and recognition as a world heritage site".
On January 30, 2021, the Government Office issued Official Dispatch No. 768/VPCP-KGVX informing the opinion of the Deputy Prime Minister "Assigning the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to preside over and coordinate with the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO to send a summary report on the nomination of "The Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu, located in the provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Giang and Hai Duong" to the UNESCO World Heritage Center for consideration and inclusion in the list of candidates for the establishment of a world heritage dossier... Since then, the People's Committees of the three provinces have held hundreds of meetings with central ministries, branches and international organizations to collect opinions and develop the dossier. After many name changes, the dossier is now officially named "The Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac".
At a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee (March 2023), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that Hai Duong is a land of outstanding people, associated with the names and careers of many national heroes and celebrities. Hai Duong urgently coordinated with relevant ministries and localities to complete the nomination dossier for recognition of the "Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Relic Complex" as a world heritage, forming a chain of heritages and best promoting the values of the heritages.
It is known that after the dossier is submitted to UNESCO, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) - an independent consulting organization - will send experts to evaluate, then recommend, if necessary, to continue to edit and supplement.
It is still a long way to go for the “Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes” to become a world heritage, but submitting the dossier to UNESCO is a very important step forward for the three provinces. This is a successful step in the journey of the complex of monuments and landscapes to become a world heritage. This step is even more meaningful when it takes place right at the time when the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival (a festival that has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage) is held.
According to the plan, the nomination dossier for “The Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac” will be submitted to UNESCO before September 30, 2023. The official dossier for “The Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac” will be submitted to UNESCO Paris before December 31 this year.