Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist Pogoda in Quang Ninh province (Photo: thoibao.today)
Over the past five years, all national relic sites in Quang Ninh and 70 percent of provincial sites were upgraded at a total cost of hundreds of billions of Vietnam dong, becoming major tourist attractions in the locality.
The province is calling for investors in a project on extending and developing the Yen Tu historical relic and landscape area, spanning three phases with the first one from 2013-2015, the second from 2016-2020 and the third from 2021-2025.
Once the project completed, the area is expected to become a national centre of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect.
So far, eight investment projects worth VND2.3 trillion (USD101.2 million) are being deployed in the Yen Tu area.
Responding to the locality’s investment invitations, Tung Lam Development JSC is carrying out a VND940 billion (USD41.3 million) project on developing a centre of cultural festivals and tourism services at the Giai Oan parking area. The company has also poured VND700 billion (VND30.8 million) into upgrading the two cable car lines and building an escalator at the Yen Tu historical relic and landscape area, among others.
Quang Ninh also needs VND4 trillion (USD176 million) to materialise a master plan on the Tran Dynasty relic site, under which there will be six projects on infrastructure development and preservation of relic sites.
As part of the plan, a project on upgrading the Ngoa Van pagoda invested by Quang Ninh provincial Buddhist Sangha and the Dong Trieu district People’s Committee is underway.
A nearly VND1 trillion (USD44 million) project on building cable car system and support facilities at Ngoa Van-Ho Thien invested by Vinacomin Investment, Trading and Service JSC was put into operation since the beginning of 2016 to serve tourists to the two pagodas.
The participation of businesses has helped significantly ease burden for the State budget, create a facelift for the relic sites and boost spiritual tourism in the province.
Besides calling for investment, the provincial authorities have taken measures to promote the value of its rich heritage. Quang Ninh has won national recognition of the Yen Tu historical and landscape area in Uong Bi city, the Tran Dynasty historical and cultural relic site in Dong Trieu town and the Bach Dang relic site in Quang Yen town, raising the total number of special national relic sites in the locality to four.
The province has also partnered with Hai Duong and Bac Ninh provinces to compile dossiers to apply to the UNESCO for recognition of the Tran Dynasty relic site and Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect as world cultural heritage sites.
In 2016, Quang Ninh welcomed 8.3 million tourist arrivals, a year-on-year increase of seven percent, earned over VND13 trillion (USD571 million) in revenue, up 23 percent, according to the provincial Department of Tourism.
By 2020, the province aims to serve 15-16 million tourists, including seven million foreigners, and rake in VND30-40 trillion (USD1.3-1.7 billion) in revenue. The tourism sector is expected to contribute 14-15 percent to the gross regional domestic product./.