In recent years, the cultural heritages in Khanh Hoa have been well preserved and upheld compared to the past. The public have been increasingly aware of traditional culture. However, there have still been many difficulties in upholding the cultural heritages in order to boost the tourism.
In recent years, the cultural heritages in Khanh Hoa have been well preserved and upheld compared to the past. The public have been increasingly aware of traditional culture. However, there have still been many difficulties in upholding the cultural heritages in order to boost the tourism.
Awareness of preserving cultural heritages raised
Reportedly, Khanh Hoa now has 16 national-level relics and beautiful sites, 171 provincial-level ones. In addition, there are still some valuable relics and beautiful sites which have not been given a rank. Recently, the preserving and upholding of cultural heritages’ value in Khanh Hoa have been carried out quite well. As the managing unit, the provincial Heritage Conservation Center has made many efforts in making documents to give ranks to the relics; organized festivals connected to the relics; built relic stelae (Ponagar Temple Festival, Am Chua Festival). Besides, the center also offers professional advices and financial supports to the units in order to embellish the relics which are at risk of being downgraded as well as to hold traditional festivals.
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| Ponagar Temple, one of cultural heritages being exploited effectively. |
In recent time, Khanh Hoa Provincial Heritage Conservation Center has organized many activities to introduce and uphold the value of cultural heritages of the province. For example, the center associated with the localities to organize contests on cultural heritages for pupils and officers. The center’s officers have also written many articles about cultural heritages published on the newspapers and magazines in order to raise the public’s awareness. At present, the center is preparing for the exhibition themed about Ponagar Temple then and now. In the future, the center will continue to make necessary documents to rank the valuable relics; embellish relics at risk of degradation; build stelae of the recently-recognized relics; promote the propaganda to raise the public’s awareness of preserving and upholding cultural heritages.
Reportedly, many localities in the province have actively mobilized the public to contribute funds to restore and embellish the relics in the local area as well as revive traditional festivals. The education sector has also promoted the value of cultural heritages through teaching local culture and history. Many schools held short tours of museums and cultural – historical relics, etc. for pupils to increase their understanding and awareness of traditional cultural preservation.
Problems in exploiting cultural heritages to serve tourism
At the recent seminar about conserving and upholding the value of cultural heritages and tourism development, held in Nha Trang, many researchers said that Khanh Hoa has done well the preservation of cultural heritages; however, the upholding of cultural heritages’ value to spur the tourism development needs to be done more effectively.
Nowadays, there are just some relics and beautiful sites in Khanh Hoa having served tourism effectively, including Ponagar Temple, Chong Rock, Long Son Pagoda, Nha Trang Cathedral, Bao Dai Villa, etc. Other relics and landscapes have still not been exploited adequately. Specifically, Dien Khanh Ancient Citadel has been restored and embellished; however, there have been not many tourists visiting this relic. Dien Khanh Temple of Literature, Ba Vu Mausoleum (Ninh Hoa), Tran Quy Cap Temple, and so on have been known only among researchers.
According to Nguyen Van Thich, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Heritage Conservation Center, not all national-level and provincial-level relics can be exploited to serve tourism. The exploitation has to depend on many factors, such as traffic, surrounding environment and supplementary tourism products.
Truong Dang Tuyen, Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that because the strength of Khanh Hoa is sea and island tourism; therefore, the tourism units have focused on exploiting sea and island resources. At present, the culture sector is calling for researches and investments to build up tourism products connected with local history and culture.
Tourism is one of the ways to promote and uphold the cultural values effectively and help the cultural heritages to assert their position and importance. In order to uphold further the value of cultural heritages, the culture sector needs to promote better the propaganda about preserving cultural heritages’ value as well as the interaction between cultural heritages and tourism.
Xuan Thanh
Translated by H.N
