Trang An, honored as “Dry Halong Bay”, is becoming a favorite attraction appealing tourists from all over the world. Recently, Vietnam proposed UNESCO for recognizing Trang An ecological complex in Ninh Binh Province as a world heritage site.
Trang An is a complex of scenic landscapes and historical
and cultural heritages. The complex has an area of over 10,000 hectare.
It consists of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Tam Coc and Bich Dong natural
site, and Trang An ecological site. Trang An ecological tourist
attraction stretches on an area of 4,000 ha with spectacular limestone
areas and rice fields. The site dates back some 250 million years and
has hundreds of valleys and caves. Trang An Relics is one of the most
spectacular Vietnam wonders. Dr. Tran Tan Van, Director of Vietnam
Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources analyzed that it is
limestone blocks that makes Trang An unique, and clarifies the
tropical karst landscapes in the region. These relics were formed
because of interaction of major geological structures on earth.
A corner of Trang An - Source: Image from Flickr
At a conference on report and discussion of the construction heritage
profile progress in May 2012, experts of Institute of Archaeology,
Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, Institute of Development
and Traditional Study agreed to create a records of Trang An to propose
UNESCO for recognition. There is a mixture of criteria including seven
criteria of aesthetics and landscaping value, eight criteria of
geological geomorphological value, and five criteria of cultural value.
In addition, there are more three criteria of culture containing the
exclusive value or, at least, a specific evidence about lost cultural
traditions of humanity.
Dia Linh Cave in Trang An - Source: Image from Wikimedia Commons
Mr. Nguyen Duc Long, the director of the board of management of Trang
An scenic relics said that Vietnam will have three heritages recognized
by UNESCO: Cat Ba (Haiphong); Trang Anh (Ninh Binh), and Vi - Giam
singing, a Vietnamese traditional folk music. In particular, Trang An
scenic landscape complex is the first Vietnam’s cultural and natural
heritage applying for UNESCO’s recognition. Through reviewing the
documents and fact-finding, UNESCO assesses records of Trang An with
good quality. As planned, in June 2014, UNESCO will hold a poll of
honoring Trang An as a World Heritage. To complete the management plan
of Trang An scenic landscape complex at the request of UNESCO, the board
of management of this complex collaborates with the Institute of
Communication and Development Survey to synthesize information in 20
local communes. Also, documents and texts are prepared; archaeological
monuments’ surveys are conducted by the local board of management and
German and Japanese experts; surveys and scientific researches on caves
in the scenic area of Trang An are implemented. At the same time,
document collections of Trang An’s relics are digitized.
Boating in Trang An - Source: Image from Flickr
The board of management of Trang An issued documents to guide and
monitor relevant units to test, order security, and ensure surrounding
sanity in the relics, especially Ancient Hoa Lu Capital. With
responsibility for developing country along with the development of Ninh Binh tourism,
the board of management of Trang An Relics also coordinates with
experts to study, explain and argue about scientist records to support
to the recognition of Trang An Relics. At the same time, many activities
of promotion and promulgation about Trang An such as promotions on the
internet, posters, banners, and cooperation with mass media agencies are
strengthened. Besides, the international cooperation and promotions are
paid more attention to enhance promulgation of Trang An scenic
landscape complex. By virtue of these, a website with Vietnamese content
on introducing the relics is open and operating well. The content is
being extended in other languages as English. In addition, some
Vietnamese-English-French magazines and books on archaeology and geology
are being designed, edited and published to promote and propagandize
Trang An to the entire world. Moreover, the content of Trang An
ecological complex will be introduced in the book of World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO); films on Trang An Relics will be shown on CNN, and
tours to Trang An will be enhanced.
If being honored by UNESCO, Trang An scenic landscape complex in Ninh
Binh will be the 8th heritage and the first cultural heritage of
Vietnam recognized under the criteria mixed with outstanding natural,
archaeological and cultural values.
