Ninh Binh, Japan’s Nara institute sign cooperation agreement on cultural heritage

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Tran Song Tung said that following its recent merger, Ninh Binh now has a broader development space and strong economic growth, creating a foundation for the province to strive to become a centrally-governed city characterised by its millennium-old heritage, creative industries, modern manufacturing, high-quality tourism services, and green urban development linked with cultural heritage.

Ninh Binh has a long-standing history and rich cultural traditions, with more than 5,000 historical and cultural relic sites and thousands of forms of intangible cultural heritage. In the 10th century, Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh was selected as the capital of Dai Co Viet, the first centralised feudal state in Vietnamese history.

The province was also the birthplace of the heroic Tran Dynasty, renowned for the “Dong A” spirit, and is home to a unique convergence of Vietnam’s historical, cultural and natural values. It boasts the Trang An Landscape Complex, Vietnam and Southeast Asia’s first mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Site, as well as the cradle of the “Practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms” heritage.

Vietnam and Japan share many similarities in their cultural and historical traditions, regarding heritage as the source of national identity and a foundation for sustainable development. Over more than half a century of diplomatic relations, particularly since the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World, cultural and heritage cooperation has maintained a special position.

Tung expressed his belief that combining Ninh Binh’s rich heritage resources with the expertise, experience and technologies of the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties would generate new values, improve the effectiveness of heritage preservation and promote Vietnam’s cultural values to the international community.

He described the signing of the agreement as an important milestone in cooperation between the two institutions and a practical contribution to deepening the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Ninh Binh is committed to supporting the effective and long-term implementation of the cooperation, he said.

The province also hopes to continue receiving support from Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki, relevant ministries and agencies of both countries, as well as Japanese organisations, universities, research institutes and the business community, enabling Ninh Binh to gain greater access to advanced knowledge and technologies and preserve and promote its heritage in line with international standards, the official added.

Speaking at the ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki said Japan and Vietnam have built strong cultural ties over the years. Since the 1990s, Japan has actively supported Vietnam in implementing a number of cultural heritage projects through official development assistance (ODA).

Experts from the two countries have also maintained close cooperation and supported one another in their work, contributing to the preservation of cultural values, he said.

The Ambassador expressed his confidence that the cooperation would deliver significant results, given the Nara institute’s extensive experience in research, conservation, archaeology and human resource training.

In the presence of Ambassador Ito Naoki and Standing Vice Chairman Tran Song Tung, representatives of the Ninh Binh provincial Department of Culture and Sports and the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties signed the cooperation agreement.

The agreement covers a range of areas, including academic exchanges and exchanges of experts and researchers in cultural heritage; technology transfer and human resource development programmes related to cultural heritage in Vietnam and Japan; joint research, conservation and promotion of cultural heritage, with a focus on Ninh Binh; international conferences, seminars and scientific forums; and the publication of research findings and scientific achievements by the two sides./.