Scientific conference held in Trieu Phong to promote Nguyen Lord heritage value

Quang Tri’s provincial agencies in collaboration with the Trieu Phong District People’s Committee on November 22 co-hosted a scientific conference to promote and preserve Nguyen Lord heritage values in the locality.

Overview of the conference. Photo: N.T.H

Following the momentum initiated by the 2013 national conference, “Quang Tri - the Land of Lord Nguyen Hoang’s Legacy,” the latest event, “The Nguyen Lord Relics System in Trieu Phong District: Historical and Cultural Values, and Strategies for Preservation, Enhancement, and Promotion of Heritage,” featured 43 research articles, presentations, and direct exchanges. This conference played a pivotal role in guiding the preservation, enhancement, and promotion of heritage values.

Enthusiastic scientists, researchers, and delegates actively contributed to the planning project for Lord Nguyen’s palace relics, providing Trieu Phong District with a solid foundation for planning and investing in memorial works, thus honoring the legacy of the Nguyen lords in Trieu Phong.

The presentations underscored the historical, cultural, and scientific significance of locations associated with Lord Nguyen’s palace on Trieu Phong. These locations played a crucial role in shaping Vietnam’s current territory and territorial sea, including the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, showcasing their importance in opening up the southern regions under the Nguyen lords.

Opinions expressed during the conference indicated that areas within the relic protection zone currently lack visible structures or traces on the ground, primarily consisting of farmland, residential land, and cemetery plots. Elements with original attributes of monuments exist as historical mementos or landmarks in people’s collective consciousness, and some are hidden as archaeological data underground.

To guide the conservation, enhancement, and promotion of the heritage value of Lord Nguyen’s palace locations in Trieu Phong, many solutions were proposed that are aligned with the scale of the protection zone. This includes preserving and enhancing the monument’s original elements while constructing new memorial and tribute works.

Suggestions encompass erecting a statue of Nguyen Hoang, recreating the ritual of offering 7 jars of water to Lord Nguyen Hoang, building the Nguyen Hoang Temple, and creating a spatial connection along the Thach Han River.

These efforts aim to revitalize the monument and generate added value for local socio-economic development through tourism activities.

In the near future, given limited resources for monument revival, experts called for establishing a display and preservation space for the traces of Lord Nguyen Hoang’s legacy. This could involve utilizing virtual interactive technology, such as 3D reconstructions, to depict the monument. Subsequently, when conditions permit, archaeological efforts, conservation measures, and restoration projects can be undertaken.

They also recommended a communal approach to commemorating Lord Nguyen Hoang’s legacy, emphasizing the role of public investment in guiding socialized investment to overcome budgetary challenges. Despite the difficulties, there is a shared determination among parties at the conference to proactively plan and invest soon the construction of structures honoring and commemorating the significant contributions made by Lord Nguyen Hoang in expanding the territory in Trieu Phong.

During the conference, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Hoang Nam commended Trieu Phong District’s recent proactive efforts in engaging scientists and researchers for surveys and archaeological activities at locations associated with the Nguyen Lord’s legacy.

This collaboration leveraged the expertise of scientists and researchers to contribute to the preparation of a planning project aimed at preserving, renovating, restoring, and promoting the value of the national historical relic “Locations related to Lord Nguyen’s palace” in Trieu Phong. The goal is to submit the project for approval on the occasion of the 465th anniversary of Lord Nguyen Hoang’s legacy in Trieu Phong.

Nam also lauded the planning consulting unit for their comprehensive approach, considering the current status of monuments and drawing on domestic experiences to propose preservation and restoration efforts. The unit’s approach, aligned with zoning orientations to protect the core area has effectively shaped festival spaces, areas of honor and gratitude, memorial spaces, and the surrounding environment. Each aspect corresponds to specific works within the Nguyen Lord relic complex in Trieu Phong.

Furthermore, Nam requested the People’s Committee of Trieu Phong to gather and synthesize feedback from workshop participants, incorporating these insights into the planning project. This ensures the project’s quality, practicality, and suitability for the local situation, ready for submission to competent authorities.

This initiative aims to highlight the historical values and merits of Lord Nguyen Hoang in the nation’s historical journey, particularly emphasizing his role in expanding the country’s territory.

In addition, the local authorities are expected to conduct extensive and thorough archaeological excavations at Lord Nguyen’s palace and its associated areas. This effort aims to bolster scientific and historical evidence regarding the locations of the three capitals Ai Tu, Tra Bat, Dinh Cat, and to uncover new aspects related to Lord Nguyen’s palace. Simultaneously, there is a plan to collect documents, materials, and artifacts for research, exhibition, and the introduction of Lord Nguyen Hoang.

Another priority mentioned by Nam is to develop a strategic investment plan for the preservation, repair, and restoration of the Nguyen Lord’s relics. In the immediate future, it is crucial to delineate protection zones, install boundary markers, and issue land use rights certificates for the relics.

He stressed the importance of mobilizing socialization resources and budgetary funds to invest in key projects, such as the construction of the Nguyen Hoang Temple, aimed at honoring and commemorating Lord Nguyen Hoang, with the goal of celebrating his 500th birthday in 2025.

In the long term, Trieu Phong should collaborate with relevant departments and branches to propose the inclusion of the province’s medium-term public investment for the period 2026 - 2030. This will facilitate ongoing investments in various elements according to the approved planning project, at the same time integrating the preservation and restoration of monuments with the development of distinctive, high-quality tourism products in the district.

This approach aims to leverage heritage values for socio-economic development, foster sustainable livelihoods, and enhance the overall well-being and spirit of the local community, he said.

In addition, Nam expected the locality to maintain a continuous dialogue with scientists and researchers, seeking their guidance and suggestions on scientific research, archaeological excavations, conservation, restoration, and the promotion of the value of Lord Nguyen’s relics in Trieu Phong District.

This collaborative effort is designed to appropriately reflect the significance of Lord Nguyen Hoang’s contributions to the nation’s history.

Thanh Hai - Ngoc Mai