A relic site in Hung Yen (Photo: baodautu.vn) Compared to many other localities, Hung Yen holds a largenumber of relic sites appreciated in terms of history, architecture and finearts.
The province boasts 1,802 relic sites, including two special national ones ofPho Hien and Thai Lac pagoda; three national treasures; and 172 national-levelrelic sites; together with more than 400 local traditional festivals.
It is also the homeland of many national heroes andcultural celebrities, such as King Trieu Viet Vuong who reigned from 548-571;Pham Ngu Lao, a general in the Tran dynasty in the 14th century; Hoang HoaTham, who led the Yen The uprising against the French colonial forces in between 1884-1913; andlate General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Van Linh whoinitiated the nation’s reform period.
The Pho Hien relic complex in the villages of Dang Chau andNe Chau was once a bustling commercial port on the Red River, reaching itsheyday in the 17th - 18th century.
Ancient Pho Hien (Photo: baohungyen.vn) Along with goods, foreign traders brought various architecturestyles, customs and cultures, which were imprinted in architectural works suchas the Xich Dang literature temple, Chuong pagoda, Hien communal house, Mau,May and Kim Dang temples.
Apart from buildings used for religious and spiritualreasons, there are also markets, wells and cemeteries.
The variety of historical relic sites contributed to forminga string of traditional festivals.
The Pho Hien Cultural Festival takes place in the Pho Hienrelic complex in the third lunar month every year. It features traditionalrituals, games and art performances, and culinary art, bringing alive thehistory, spirituality and culture of the land.
It allows tourists to get insight into the culture andhistory of the ancient river port.
The event also helps promote the locality’s potential intourism and service development and serves as an attractive spiritual andreligious tourism destination.
In addition to its richness in culture and history, Hung Yenis also celebrated for its eco-tourism, with the most well-known being theEcopark Township. Tourists can experience a fresh, green andmulti-architectural space there. To serve travellers, Ecopark has set up various freebus routes to transport tourists from the centre of Hanoi capital.
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture,Sports and Tourism Pham Van Hieu said the province still has many sites wheretourism can be developed, like Hoa Phong handicraft village, Lac Dao rice winevillage, and Cao Thon incense making village.
Over the years, many travel agencies as well as the Hanoi’sTourism Department and nearby provincial local travel agencies have co-operatedwith Hung Yen's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organise tours. Onthese journeys, tourists can feel the fresh countryside air and experiencecommunity life and traditional products of the province, Hieu said.
Although there is huge tourism potential, Hung Yen hasfailed to make a breakthrough in recent years. According to the director of SaoMai Tourism Limited Company, Hoang Phuong Mai, the province was only focusingon spiritual tourism, which mainly attracted visitors in spring. Meanwhile,many tourists have a huge interest in simply exploring.
“The province has many advantages which need to be explored.There must be a connection between the local administration and tourism agencies tocreate more exciting tours,” Mai said.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee NguyenDuy Hung said the province will focus on co-operating with regional provincesthat are home to big tourism hubs like Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, andespecially Hanoi.
He emphasised the importance of promoting and mobilisinginvestment to propel the province's potential for tourism development./.
VNA
