Quang Ninh has a long-standing Buddhist tradition closely associated with Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism, and is home to numerousancient pagodas, scenic sites and relics of special value. These Buddhist heritage sites need to be further preserved and conserved, while its cultural values and national identity should be promoted to meet the religious and spiritual needs of local people and visitors, and contribute to the city’s socio-economic development.
Quang Ninh currently has 609 relics, including eight Special National Relics, 57 national-level relics, 104 city-level relics and 440 sites on the relic inventory list. Buddhist establishments,, including pagodas, hermitages, stupas and places where monks practised Buddhism, account for a significant proportion of Quang Ninh’s relics, many of them associated with Truc Lam Buddhism. Notably, three of the five component relic sites in Quang Ninh within the UNESCO-recognised Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes, a World Cultural Heritage Site, are Buddhist relics. These are Chua Lan Pagoda (Cam Son Tu); the Hoa Yen Pagoda relic site, including the Hue Quang stupa garden and Patriarch Stupa; and the Ngoa Van Hermitage-Pagoda site.
Over time and amid historical upheavals, some Buddhist establishments have deteriorated or sustained damaged, making restoration and renovation necessary to safeguard cultural heritage and meet the religious and spiritual needs of monks, nuns, Buddhist followers, local people and visitors. Including these sites on the relic inventory list is necessary to protect their remaining traces, prevent encroachment and provide a basis for further research and assessment of their value. Sites that meet the required conditions should continue to be reviewed and have their dossiers completed to support appropriate conservation and promotion of their values.
