Preserving and promoting cultural heritage values

After the merger, Dao Xa commune has an area of over 45 km2. It owns 3 national historical relics, notably Dao Xa Communal House, which is about 350 years old. In 1974, the construction was ranked as a national relic associated with the elephant procession festival and rice cooking competition in January every year. Ha Bi Trung Communal House was ranked in 2010 with 4 royal decrees, 6 ancient bowls and a set of rare wooden palanquins. Tam Cong Temple was ranked in 2004, where the boat racing festival takes place from July 10 to 15 (lunar calendar) every year. These relics not only preserve the genealogy and royal decrees but are also the place where community activities and traditional festivals take place, contributing to strengthening solidarity in the community.

Along with national relics, Dao Xa commune also has 20 communal houses and ancient pagodas ranked at provincial level. Each relic is associated with traditional festivals imbued with cultural identity, becoming a spiritual support for the people in the region. Phu An Communal House and Huu Khanh Communal House were ranked in 1992 - 1993, regularly holding festivals on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month with solemn ceremonies; the festival part with exciting art programs and sports exchanges. Thai Dong Son Pagoda currently preserves 27 Buddha statues made of precious wood. La Hao, Vong La, Ha Bi Ha, and Ha Bi Thuong Communal Houses are rich in architectural value with horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, and gilded thrones. Quoc Te Temple and Ngoc Son Temple are associated with sacrificial festivals and boat racing in the 2nd lunar month, currently preserving 11 sets of royal decrees and statues of river gods...

Many items of the National Historical Relic Dao Xa Communal House have seriously degraded and need to be restored and embellished.

Mr. Tran Van Toa, the keeper of Dao Xa Communal House, shared: “61 years ago, the Party Committee and People of Vinh Quang Commune (now Dao Xa Commune) - a typical tree planting unit in the North, awarded the Third Class Labor Medal by the Government, were honored to welcome Uncle Ho to visit. Right at this communal house yard, Uncle Ho talked to the People and advised that planting trees is very useful, so we should actively plant them. He also told us to take good care of the communal house as a meeting place.”

Remembering his advice, generations of local people consider the communal house as a treasure preserving the soul of their homeland. In the context of urbanization, educating the young generation about the love of heritage plays an important role. In recent years, Dao Xa Secondary School, together with educational institutions in the area, has actively organized experiential activities, integrating education about local historical traditions into the curriculum for students. Every year, the school organizes extracurricular activities to visit relics, combine storytelling with legends, and guide students to participate in cleaning up and protecting heritage. Principal Nguyen Van Cuong shared: "We teach students about their origins through traditional festivals, thereby helping them be proud of their homeland and raising awareness of heritage conservation. Many students participate in the "Protecting Relics" club, actively propagating to friends and relatives about the value of cultural heritage. These activities both contribute to preserving heritage and nurturing patriotism in students."

However, some ancient structures are facing the risk of being lost due to time, weather and lack of conservation funds. Comrade Do Quoc Trong, Head of the Department of Culture - Society, People's Committee of Dao Xa commune, said: Through a field survey, the commune identified 4 seriously degraded relics that need to be restored and embellished: Dao Xa Communal House, Tam Cong Temple, Ngoc Son Temple and Linh Thang Pagoda. This situation not only affects historical value but also threatens community safety, especially during the annual traditional festival. Therefore, the commune hopes that the authorities will soon have a plan to restore and embellish the degraded relics to promptly preserve traditional cultural values for future generations.

With the joint efforts of the Party Committee, the Government and the People, the heritage is not only preserved but also promoted, becoming a bridge between the past, the present and the future. Preserving and promoting the values of cultural heritage will create the foundation and motivation for Dao Xa to continue to develop sustainably.

Hong Nhung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/gin-giu-va-phat-huy-gia-tri-di-san-van-hoa-239918.htm