The northern province of Bac Giang is going to make a master plan on the preservation and promotion of the values of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, a special national relic site.
Part of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Bac Giang province (Photo: bacgiang.gov.vn)
The planning task, recently approved by the Prime Minister, includes researching, surveying and assessing the relic site’s situation; specifying priority issues, along with viewpoints and short- and long-term targets of the relic site master plan; and making orientations for the preservation and promotion of the site’s values.
The planning aims to specify all historical, architectural and artistic values of the pagoda, helping to further clarify the historical and cultural values of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect. It will make directions for preserving relics, intangible cultural heritage, the historical and cultural space attached to the relic site and local landscapes, and the surrounding area so as to turn Vinh Nghiem Pagoda into a cultural and religious centre of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect.
It is also set to connect Vinh Nghiem Pagoda with other historical and cultural relic sites and scenic landscapes of Bac Giang province, especially the Yen Tu relic complex, to create a diverse cultural tourism product.
The master plan will be the legal basis for the management and implementation of member projects on the relic site’s value preservation and promotion, and for the making of regulations and solutions on the site management.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, also called La or Duc La Pagoda, is 20 km southeast of Bac Giang City.
Built in the 11th century under the Ly Dynasty, the pagoda served as a training institution for Vietnamese monks during the Tran Dynasty (13th-14th centuries).
It has been considered the first Buddhism university of Vietnam and the place of origin of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect. It is also home to a collection of 3,050 carved woodblocks enlisted by UNESCO as World Documentary Heritage in the Memory of the World Programme in 2012.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was recognised as a national historical – cultural relic site in 1964 and a special national relic site in 2015. Its festival, which is held annually from the 12th to 14th day of the second lunar month, was also named part of the national intangible cultural heritage in 2013.-VNA