As determining the importance of cultural heritage, in recent times, preserving and promoting cultural values and cultural heritage has always been of interest to Thu Dau Mot City’s leadership and considered as one of the key tasks.
Pay attention and preserve
Through many historical ups and downs, the land of Thu Dau Mot, which was formed more than 300 years ago, has undergone many changes. Not only is it a convenient land for trade and the center of the province, Thu Dau Mot is also famous for its traditional craft villages and cultural values that are preserved in historical and cultural relics in the area.
According to Tran Bao Lam, Vice Chairman of Thu Dau Mot City People's Committee, up to now, 12 relics have been recognized in the city, of which 5 are national-level relics and 7 are provincial-level relics. in addition, Thu Dau Mot City also has 3 types that have been recognized as national intangible cultural heritage, including: Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer craft, Binh Duong pottery craft and Tan An communal house’s Ky Yen Festival. The results achieved recently have shown the State's attention and recognition for heritages with cultural and historical value, making important contributions to preserving, building and developing Vietnamese culture of rich national identity.
Built around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Tuong Hiep communal house in Hiep An ward is the most recently recognized as a provincial relic. In addition to architectural values, the communal house also preserves many traditional cultural values integrated with the cultural and spiritual life of local people. To get this recognition, in recent times, the local government and people have tried their best to preserve and protect the monument. Nguyen Van Day, representative of Tuong Hiep communal house's management committee, said that over the years, the committee has preserved the inherent values of the communal house, maintained folk beliefs and worshiping ceremonies according to the customs left by his father. Therefore, when Tuong Hiep communal house was recognized as a provincial historical-cultural relic, not only the communal house's management committee but also the entire residential community were very happy.
In recent times, Thu Dau Mot City has always paid attention to repairing, preventing deterioration, and termite prevention of recognized relics, and is preparing dossiers to request new recognition. Namely, in the years 2019-2020, the city invested over 13.9 billion VND to renovate the relics of Phu Cuong, Ba Lua, Tuong Binh Hiep communal houses. Every year, the city organizes surveys and periodically prepares termite prevention budget estimates for monuments.
Promote value
Along with the work of protecting and preserving, promoting cultural values and cultural heritage in Thu Dau Mot City is always paid attention to and carried out regularly. Lam added that Thu Dau Mot City determined that promoting the value of cultural heritage is one of the city's key tasks. Since then, the city has focused on directing departments, agencies, units and localities to coordinate with the Fatherland Front and city organizations to strengthen traditional education to promote the value of recognized cultural heritage.
Every year, the culture, information and sports industry of Thu Dau Mot City maintains and coordinates propaganda activities, contributing to promoting cultural values and serving entertainment and cultural enjoyment needs of the people. Activities are organized regularly and diversely from city to ward, some traditional activities are restored, maintained and developed.
Continuing to promote the effectiveness of restoring, preserving and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage in the area, Thu Dau Mot City is currently compilling handbooks to introduce and digitize historical - cultural relics combined with promoting local tourism. People's Committees of the wards have gradually restored folk activities at communal houses and pagodas in the area.
According to Mr. Tran Bao Lam, culture is the identity of a nation, the root of the nation. Therefore, preserving and promoting cultural values and cultural heritage is extremely important and is a central task of top priority of localities in leading and directing the implementation of economic development tasks and caring for the development of cultural and spiritual life of the people. To preserve and promote cultural heritage in the coming time, Thu Dau Mot City has also proposed key tasks and solutions. The goal that Thu Dau Mot City is aiming for is to build and develop culture, sports and tourism to gradually elevate them to be on par with the local socio-economic development goals.
Besides the cultural values that are always protected and preserved, in the development process, leaders of Thu Dau Mot City also pay great attention to preserving and creating more green space for the locality. In the first months of 2024, Thu Dau Mot City had ancient trees that were recognized as Vietnamese Heritage Trees. In the campus of the City Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee alone, there are 53 Vietnamese Heritage Trees that were recognized. This is of very special significance, because in addition to honoring rare plants as national heritage, honoring places and history, this is also a basis to raise public awareness of preserving and protecting trees, developing local eco-tourism.
Reported by H.Thuan, C.Tien - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
