The ancient Pho Hien Street in the Red River Delta’s Hung Yen province
was awarded a certificate of special national heritage site on April
26.
The ceremony, which was joined by State
President Truong Tan Sang, was held to coincidence with the opening of
the traditional Pho Hien festival.
The Pho Hien
relic complex lies in the villages of Dang Chau and Ne Chau. It contains
countless pagodas and temples. The site was also once a bustling
commercial port on the Red River, reaching its heyday in the 17th – 18th
century.
Pho Hien was second only to the
Imperial capital city of Thang Long as a trading point. It was
well-known among foreign traders, especially those from China, Japan and
the Netherlands.
The annual Pho Hien Cultural Festival takes place across all the
area’s relic sites. It features traditional rituals, games and art
performances, bringing alive the history, spirituality and culture of
the street.
Addressing the opening event, Vice
Chairman of the Hung Yen People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Quynh highlighted
the cultural and traditional diversity of the province, saying that it
houses more than 1,200 relic sites and more than 400 local traditional
festivals.
The locality is also home to a number
of national heroes and cultural celebrities, such as King Trieu Viet
Vuong, who reigned from 548-571; Pham Ngu Lao, a general in the Tran
dynasty in the 14 th century; Hoang Hoa Tham, who led the Yen The
rebellion against France in between 1884-1913; and late General
Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Van Linh, who
initiated the nation’s successful reform period.
During the event, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dang
Thi Bich Lien hailed the significance of the Pho Hien relic complex,
saying that it is both an important cultural landmark and an attractive
tourism destination.
She urged the province to
expand publicity campaigns enhancing preservation work to protect the
ancient street, upholding traditional values and promoting tourism.
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Doan The Cuong said the
region aims to lure investment to fully tap the local potential for
socio-economic and tourism development in the Northern Region economic
triangle.-VNA