Hung Yen’s historic Pho Hien complex recognised as national relic

Hung Yen provincial authorities held a ceremony on April 26 to receive a certificate honouring the province’s historic Pho Hien complex as a special national relic site.

The ceremony was attended by President Truong Tan Sang.

In the past Pho Hien was a large urban and commercial port with most of its development taking place in the 16th and 17th centuries. The area comprised of 16 complex sites such as Chuong pagoda, An Vu temple, and Xich Dang Temple of Literature, each of them holding unique historical, cultural and artistic value.

Many traditional rituals observed in Pho Hien during its most influential era, including an incense offering ceremony, a peace-praying ceremony, and a palanquin procession, have been restored and reinstated as an effort by the local authorities to preserve and promote the value of the complex.

The province has also spent billions of Vietnamese dong to upgrade and restore the complex’s construction, increase management and protection of antiquities at the site, and promote the relic’s value. According to Vice Chairman of Hung Yen provincial People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Quynh, the province is home to more than 1,210 heritages, with 161 of them listed as national heritage sites. The local administration has targeted to improve its infrastructure to attract more visitors to its heritage sites, and raise the qualification of those working in heritage protection and restoration.