On July 12 afternoon (Vietnam time), at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Chairman of the session Professor Nikolay Nenov officially knocked the hammer to recognize the complex as a world cultural heritage site.

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Dong (Bronze) Pagoda atop Yen Tu Mountain

This is the second inter-provincial world heritage site of Vietnam, after Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago in Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city.

The complex, with Truc Lam Zen Buddhism as its core, was established in the 13th century by the Tran Dynasty’s kings, particularly the role of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong.

The recognition of the complex as a world culture heritage site is the result of the typical combination of the state, religion and people in the formation of the Vietnamese national identity; along with the sacred landscape formed through frequent and close interactions with nature and an ethical system based on the love of peace, self-cultivation, tolerance, kindness, and harmony between people and nature.

Translated by Chung Anh