Developing spiritual and cultural tourism associated with special national monument Po Nagar Temple

Associate Professor, PhD. Trieu The Hung, Vice-chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society, shared some opinions on preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritages with Khanh Hoa Newspaper on the occasion of his attendance at the ceremony honoring Po Nagar Temple as special national monument and folk knowledge of exploiting and processing Khanh Hoa aloewood as national intangible cultural heritage organized recently.

Associate Professor, PhD. Trieu The Hung, Vice-chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society

-    I am honored to attend the ceremony honoring the famous monuments and heritages of Khanh Hoa. Special national monument Po Nagar Temple is a sacred symbol that has existed for more than 12 centuries, a testament to traditional culture. Po Nagar Temple is a unique religious architectural monument and also a place to connect communities, preserve customs, rituals and unique folk cultural value. Po Nagar Temple Festival is held annually and attracts thousands of local people and visitors from many localities.

- In your opinion, how significant is the recognition of Po Nagar Temple as a special national monument for the preservation and promotion of the monument’s value? What should Khanh Hoa Province do to effectively exploit the value of the monument?

- The Prime Minister's decision to recognize Po Nagar Temple as a special national monument is a great honor and a well-deserved acknowledgment of its cultural, historical, artistic, and spiritual value. This is not only the pride of Khanh Hoa but also of the entire nation. As Vietnam is entering a new era of development, in order to socio-economy associated with preserving and maintaining the national cultural identity, Khanh Hoa needs to further promote the cultural and historical value of special national monument Po Nagar Temple sustainably and in association with protecting the landscape, environment and cultural life of the people. This involves safeguarding its environment and the cultural life of its people. This will enable the development of spiritual and cultural tourism centered around Po Nagar Temple in a way that is civilized, safe, and respectful of diverse cultural identities. This ensures that the special national monument remain a sacred place for spiritual connection and a distinctive cultural landmark for Vietnamese people and global visitors.

Special national monument Po Nagar Temple

The National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society will always support activities to preserve and promote cultural heritage value in localities; focus on perfecting the legal system, innovate cultural mechanisms and policies in accordance with the country's cultural and artistic characteristics in the new context to develop the cultural industry to preserve and promote national cultural value. Additionally, the committee will strengthen monitoring activities to implement national target programs on cultural development and preservation programs so that heritages are not only preserved well but also become valuable spiritual and material resources serving socio-economic development and improving the people's lives.

- Currently, Khanh Hoa Province is home to rich and diverse cultural resources of great value. In your opinion, what should the province do to preserve and promote the value of local monuments and cultural heritages?

- Khanh Hoa Province currently boasts immense potential and cultural resources, encompassing heritages related to its coastal, mountainous and lowland cultures. Therefore, the province needs specific and effective solutions to preserve, promote, utilize, and transform these into tourism economy and to make culture truly contributes to the locality's overall growth. In order to achieve this, Khanh Hoa must first focus on developing unique and distinctive cultural brands. For example, now that Po Nagar Temple has been recognized as a special national monument, the province should continue proposing honoring the spiritual value linked to the monument in order to raise awareness of this remarkable cultural heritage. Simultaneously, the province needs to create complementary cultural services and products with community-based approach where every local acts as a guide. This way, visitors researching Khanh Hoa will see it not just as a famous tourism destination but also a captivating locality with a rich, diverse and distinct cultural identity.

- Thank you for your answers!

Interviewer: Giang Dinh
Translated by H.N