The Scientific and Practical Workshop on the Restoration, Reconstruction, and Revival of Pho Hien Heritage

The workshop is chaired by provincial leaders and leaders of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy.

The attendees included: Associate Professor, Dr. Doan Minh Huan, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy; Nguyen Huu Nghia, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Bac, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, chaired the workshop.

It saw the presence of: Tran Quoc Toan, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province; Nguyen Khac Hao, former Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Union of Science and Technology Associations of the province; members of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee; leaders of the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, the Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province, the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; representatives of leaders from several ministries and central agencies; researchers, experts, and scientists from across the country.

Pho Hien – a unique heritage space of the Red River Delta region

Comrade Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, delivers a speech at the workshop.

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Comrade Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, emphasized: Pho Hien is one of the typical heritage spaces of the Red River Delta and of the whole country, closely associated with the formation, development, and integration of the Vietnamese nation in the 16th and 17th centuries. Historically, Pho Hien was once a bustling international trading port, a hub for trade and cultural exchange between Dai Viet and many countries and regions around the world, contributing to the rich and diverse appearance of Vietnamese culture during the medieval period.

Through historical upheavals and changes in natural, economic, and social conditions, Pho Hien's role as a central trading port is no longer what it once was. However, to this day, Pho Hien still preserves a rich system of heritage, including both tangible and intangible heritage, vividly reflecting a brilliant period of national history, while also containing unique values ​​in history, culture, architecture, beliefs, and urban memory. This is a valuable heritage resource, of special significance to Hung Yen province in its construction and development process.

In recent years, the conservation, restoration, and promotion of Pho Hien's heritage have been given attention and guidance by Hung Yen province, achieving initial results. However, practice also shows that activities to conserve and promote Pho Hien's heritage still reveal certain limitations.

In the context of Hung Yen province implementing development goals in accordance with the spirit of the Resolution of the First Provincial Party Congress, aiming for rapid and sustainable development, the requirement is to effectively exploit endogenous resources, including cultural and heritage resources, in order to create new impetus for socio-economic growth, improve the quality of life of the people, and build the image and position of the province in the new period. Therefore, the restoration, recreation, and revival of Pho Hien heritage is not only a requirement for cultural preservation but also a strategic development task. Consequently, the clear definition of the viewpoints and principles for the restoration, recreation, and revival of Pho Hien heritage is crucial, serving as a basis for guiding the development of specific models and solutions that are appropriate to the practical conditions of Hung Yen province and the development requirements in the new era.

To ensure the workshop to focus on clarifying core issues with scientific and practical value, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee suggested several key issues for scientists, experts, and delegates to discuss, such as: the approaches and models for restoring, recreating, and reviving the Pho Hien heritage; the role of creative tourism and the creative economy in promoting the value of the Pho Hien heritage; the mechanisms, policies, and methods for mobilizing and connecting state, business, community, and social resources; and the role of the local community in preserving, creating, and enjoying the value of the Pho Hien heritage.

Scientific consensus creates a foundation for the overall planning of Pho Hien.

At the workshop, delegates deeply analyzed the unique historical and cultural value of the ancient city of Pho Hien – a trading port that once rivaled Thang Long Imperial City in the 16th-18th centuries. Numerous archaeological evidence and geographical-historical documents show that Pho Hien was not only the starting point of international trade route but also an "urban brand" bearing the cultural identity of the Vietnam-China-Japan-Western cultural exchange. Opinions at the workshop suggested that the province should research the development of a regional tourism chain along the Red River, connecting Pho Hien with Thang Long – Tam Chuc – Trang An – Bai Dinh – Con Vanh; at the same time, promptly finalize the management mechanism, mobilize social resources, establish a Pho Hien Heritage Management Council, and build a Heritage Development Fund to ensure sustainability in the implementation process; and promptly finalize the strategy for promoting the value of Pho Hien heritage according to the "living heritage" model. To strengthen regional linkages, attract investment, and develop synchronous tourism infrastructure; boost digital transformation in the preservation, introduction, promotion, and management of destinations. This is considered the direction for Pho Hien to become a unique cultural and tourism center of the region, contributing to local economic growth in the new phase.

Comrade Nguyen Huu Nghia, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, speaks at the workshop.

Speaking at the workshop, Comrade Nguyen Huu Nghia, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, affirmed that the presentations and discussions at the workshop by researchers, experts, and scientists have profound scientific, practical, and academic value, helping the province open up a new approach and create an important scientific basis for building a comprehensive plan for the preservation, restoration, and promotion of the value of the ancient city of Pho Hien associated with tourism development in the coming period; thereby forming a creative tourism complex and park. He also emphasized the need to promote the role of the people in the project implementation process; the consensus was reached that the project should not be driven by short-term economic profit but rather by long-term, sustainable goals, connecting the cultural values ​​of the past, present, and future; creating a connecting axis between the Hung Yen – Ninh Binh – Hanoi heritage region with experiential tourism products, and simultaneously creating momentum for Hung Yen to develop its cultural industry. The province will carefully study the presentations and contributions to finalize the proposals and adjust the planning of the ancient Pho Hien area, ensuring the project is implemented as soon as possible, allowing future generations to enjoy the unique cultural values ​​of the province.

The workshop highlighted the rich documentation system that forms the foundation for the restoration and "revival" of the Pho Hien heritage.

Associate Professor, Dr. Doan Minh Huan, Member of the Party Central Committee, and Standing Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, concludes the workshop.

In his concluding remarks at the workshop, Comrade Doan Minh Huan, Standing Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, highly appreciated the workshop's theme, emphasizing the determination of the Party Committee and the government of Hung Yen province to continue promoting the restoration, recreation, and revival of the Pho Hien heritage associated with the creation of a creative tourism ecosystem in the province. The workshop highlighted the rich documentation system, including written documents, artifacts, relics, and existing cultural institutions, creating an important foundation for the restoration and "revival" of the Pho Hien heritage. Scientists and experts also clarified the process of formation, development, and prosperity of Pho Hien in the context of geomorphological, political, and historical changes, while affirming the unique characteristics and international nature of the Pho Hien trading port in East-West exchange.

The delegates discuss at the workshop.

The Standing Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics noted that the port recreation through cultural institutions and heritage settlements is a difficult task, requiring a balance between static preservation and the creation of a spatial model for Pho Hien within the current urban context; while also connecting it with the ecosystem of tourism routes and cultural values ​​associated with prominent figures of Hung Yen. Therefore, the locality needs to continue researching and refining the overall master plan and functional zoning plan; organize more in-depth studies, seminars, and workshops on static preservation, flexible preservation, and adaptive preservation, aiming to both preserve heritage values ​​and promote new values ​​of each structure; and pay attention to resettlement and the operational mechanism of a new generation public-private partnership model suitable for the cultural sector. He suggested that the working group continue to support the local authorities in conducting more in-depth research and, when it is necessary, organize specialized workshops to supplement the arguments for the project implementation process.