In recent years, Khanh Hoa Province has attached more importance to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritages in the province. However, it still requires more solutions and efforts to enhance the relationship between cultural heritage resources and tourism.
In recent years, Khanh Hoa Province has attached more importance to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritages in the province. However, it still requires more solutions and efforts to enhance the relationship between cultural heritage resources and tourism.
Khanh Hoa has paid much attention in protecting and promoting the heritages. The province allocated funds to restore and renovate many monuments and intangible cultural heritages across the province. At present, Khanh Hoa has 16 national monuments and scenic spots, three national intangible cultural heritages, one intangible cultural heritages of humanity recognized by UNESCO, 174 provincial monuments, 56 unranked monuments.
The provincial Heritage Conservation Center put a lot of efforts into ranking the monuments and organizing large-scale festivals associated with the monuments (Ponagar Temple Festival, Am Chua Festival), and building steles of instruction at the monuments. The center offered advice and gave support to restore the decaying monuments and organize traditional festivals; cooperated with other units to hold contests on cultural heritages; issued articles about provincial cultural heritages.
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Many cultural researchers highly appreciated the heritage preservation of Khanh Hoa. The efforts of Khanh Hoa helped to raise the awareness of the values of the cultural heritages. Many localities called for funds from community to embellish the local monuments as well as restore the traditional festivals.
Also in recent years, Khanh Hoa has attached much attention to the relationship between cultural heritages and tourism. The number of visitors to the monuments and tourist attractions like Ponagar Temple, Hon Chong, and Long Son Pagoda, etc. increases year by year; more and more cultural activities have been invested better. The provincial Traditional Arts Theatre often holds free arts shows in front of the provincial Conference Center (No. 46 Tran Phu Street); the provincial Cultural Center holds Bài Chòi festival at the beach park on weekends to serve tourists. Numerous travel agencies also started to include cultural activities into their tourism programs, such as arts program of A Chau Folk Arts Theater and water puppet show of Nha Trang Water Puppet Theater.
Apart from the positive results, the cultural heritages resources in Khanh Hoa have still not been commensurate with the potential. There have been lots of cultural heritages having not been deployed effectively or depleted, for example Dien Khanh Ancient Citadel, Am Chua, Dien Khanh Temple of Literature, Ba Vu’s Tomb (Ninh Hoa), Yersin Museum, Khanh Hoa Museum, Shrine to strong-willed scholar Tran Quy Cap, C235 “no-number” Ship Monument, and so on.
As reported by Le Van Hoa, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture and Sports, Khanh Hoa proposed to the province’s leaders to call for investment from the businesses in order to boost the relationship between cultural heritages and tourism. Some businesses have engaged in projects of heritage reservation and tourism promotion. Yasaka Saigon-Nha Trang Hotel has taken part in the project protecting and embellishing the ancient house of a man named Hai Thai in Dien Khanh District; Hai Dang Company restored Da Hang Sanctuary (Phuoc Dong Commune). Some tourist agencies have organized roots-returning tours. Khanh Hoa Provincial Museum is going to be rebuilt and promises to provide tourism products of better quality to tourists. The provincial Department of Culture and Sports organized a scientific conference to discuss about the preservation and promotion of Dien Khanh Ancient Citadel.
As said by Associate Professor and PhD Dang Van Bai, Vice-Chairman of Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association, cultural tourism should be seen as a good way to promote the values of culture. Khanh Hoa is a developed tourism province; therefore, the province should further boost the cooperation of cultural heritages and tourism.
Tran Le Na
Translated by H.N
