The northern province of Hai Duong's People's Committee has held the 570th anniversary of death of Nguyen Trai, who was awarded the title "Great Man of Culture of the World" by UNESCO in 1980. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tung   Marking time: Cultural activities are held in Hai Duong Province to celebrate the recognition of Con Son-Kiep Bac historical complex as a special national heritage. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tung

HAI DUONG (VNS)— A wide range of ceremonial, cultural and sporting activities are being held in Hai Duong Province to celebrate the recognition of Con Son-Kiep Bac historical complex as a special national heritage.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the events and handed over the government certificate of recognition to the provincial officials yesterday.

Lauded for its historical value and original architecture, the celebrations are being held as part of the Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2012, which concludes on Friday.

As part of the celebrations, tourists nationwide and local inhabitants

were treated to a boat parade on the Luc Dau River, a ritual to pray for peace, and a lantern festival.

There were also sporting events such as wrestling and boat races, as well as a rice-cooking contest and duck-catching competition.

The province of Hai Duong also held a special ceremony last Wednesday to receive the Prime Minister's certificate recognising the Con Son-Kiep Bac complex as a Special National Heritage.

The highlight of the event was also the commemoration of the 712th anniversary of the death of national hero General Tran Hung Dao, as well as 570th anniversary of death of Nguyen Trai, who was awarded the title "Great Man of Culture of the World" by UNESCO in 1980.

Spanning a total area of 8ha in Chi Linh, Con Son-Kiep Bac historical site is entwined with the lives and causes of Gen Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Trai.

The site used to be a defence line built by the general at the end of the 13th century to protect the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

The site witnessed important battles between the Tran dynasty's Vietnamese soldiers and the Yuan-Mongol invaders from the north.

Con Son site, surrounded by pine trees, marked the pure and upright life of Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), one of Viet Nam's most famous poets and writers. Born in Con Son, he often mentioned the site in his poems and stories, and returned there for a year in 1437. The main pagoda at the site was built to commemorate him.

Today, Con Son-Kiep Bac includes a number of historical and cultural sites related to the glorious feats of the Vietnamese people and army over the Yuan-Mongol invasion, as well as the lives and careers of the two great Vietnamese personalities. It is one of the places where the Truc Lam Buddhism sect originated during the Tran dynasty. — VNS

 

Heritage sites The Prime Minister has recently approved 11 more sites as special national heritage, increasing the number of Viet Nam's special heritage to 34. The list includes the following places of historical and scenic interests: 1. Architectural and archaeological heritage Co Loa (in Dong Anh District, Ha Noi). 2. Historical and architectural site of Tran dynasty's Temple and Pho Minh Pagoda in Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province. 3. Historical site to mark Bach Dang victory in 1288 in Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province. 4. Yen Tu historical site in Dong Trieu District, Quang Ninh Province. 5. Lam Kinh Historical Site in Tho Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province. 6. Nguyen Du Memorial Site in Nghi Xuan District, Ha Tinh Province. 7. Architectural monument of the Keo Pagoda in Vu Thu District, Thai Binh Province. 8. Ancient archaeological and architectural site Oc Eo-Ba The in Thoai Son District, An Giang Province. 9. Go Thap historical and archaeological relic in Thap Muoi District, Dong Thap Province. 10. Ba Be Lake in Ba Be District in Bac Can Province. 11. The Cat Tien National Park in the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, and Lam Dong. — VNS