Bắc Ninh
Bo Da pagoda recognised as special national relic site
Updated: 11:09, 28/12/2016
(BGO) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 22 decided to recognise Bo Da pagoda in Tien Son commune, Viet Yen district, the northern province of Bac Giang, as a special national relic site.
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| Bo Da pagoda. |
On this occasion, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Viet Yen district, Nguyen Dai Luong, granted an interview to the Bac Giang newspaper.
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Nguyen Dai Luong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Viet Yen district |
Would you please tell about your feeling after hearing this good news?
Before being submitted to the Prime Minister, the dossier of Bo Da pagoda had been approved by the Vietnam National Council for Cultural Heritage with 25/25 “yes” votes. But after being informed that the pagoda is classified as a special national relic site, I was very moved, delighted and proud. As a result, together with Dong temple in Bich Dong town, Viet Yen has another special national relic site. We also feel the heavier burden of responsibility from now on.
So the heavier responsibility is how to preserve and fully tap the value of the site, isn’t it?
That’s right. As Bo Da pagoda is ranked in the country’s highest level so that it is important to excite the pride and raise the sense of responsibility of administrations at all levels and the community for maintaining the valuable heritage left by predecessors. This is also an opportunity to promote the images of the site to visitors both at home and abroad. How to tap the value of the relic and boost the district’s socio-economic development is really a great concern.
As far as I know, Viet Yen district has coordinated with relevant agencies to utilise the value of Bo Da pagoda and develop tourism. Could you please brief on the results so far?
We mapped out a tourism development plan for the 2016-2020 period and the following years, with a focus placed on developing cultural and spiritual tourism in combination with traditional craft villages. Bo Da pagoda was defined as an important highlight in the blueprint.
The district has zoned off an area around the relic. All nearby forests are turned into protective forests to protect the site’s scenery. Roads leading to the site are being upgraded to connect the relic with other local attractions.
The dossier of Bo Da pagoda festival has been submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to seek its recognition as national intangible cultural heritage.
Leaflets, books, photos and souvenirs have been prepared while the building of a website for the relic is underway. The district has coordinated with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to hold annual love duet festivals at Bo Da pagoda festival with the participation of localities in the province.
According to you, what are the most outstanding values of the relic?
Bo Da pagoda has all conditions to deserve the status thanks to its remarkable historical, religious, architectural and cultural values. It is a major Buddhist centre in the north and the birthplace of Lam Te Zen sect. Having experienced centuries and restorations, the pagoda still keeps its original architecture.
Its architecture is quite different from others in the north with a tranquil and sacred look. Its earth wall is not seen elsewhere.
It is also home to a repository of Buddhist woodblocks with nearly 2,000 pieces engraved in ancient Chinese scripts with exquisite patterns. The pagoda also has a garden of ancient towers, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, in which more than 100 towers are storing remains of monks and nuns.
Would you please reveal solutions to preserve and fully tap the value of the site?
In the near future, the district in conjunction with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will coordinate with the provincial People’s Committee to successfully organise a ceremony to receive the title in the upcoming Spring festival while preserving woodblocks and artifacts. At the same time, it will raise public awareness of the relic’s significance, build a house for security guards, review relic protection mechanisms and arrange personnel to receive guests.
On the occasion, which suggestions or proposals would you like to offer?
We expect that central and provincial agencies would invest in upgrading roads leading to the relic, building a warehouse to store woodblocks, reevaluating the woodblocks to seek UNESCO recognition as world memory heritage. The district also suggested the establishment of a relic management board and switching the use of protective forests to special-purpose forests to better protect the relic site’s landscapes.
Thank you very much!
Nguyen Huong
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