Practicing a civilized lifestyle: Building beautiful images at relics

To contribute to the effective development of a civilized lifestyle and eliminating negative images at relics, in recent years, all levels and sectors have promoted propaganda work in many diverse forms.

Head of the Standing Committee at the Thuy Cung relic, Lang Son city informs youth union members in the area about some regulations when visiting the relic

There are currently 335 relics in the province on the provincial inventory list, including 163 architectural artistic relics, also known as spiritual relics (temples, communal houses, pagodas…). According to folk customs, twice a year, people come to these spiritual destinations to visit, sightsee and pray for fortune with the concept “ask for fortune at the beginning of the year, return the favor at the end of the year”. Therefore, the number of people and tourists flocking to religious relics in the province on this occasion is very large.

Positive change

In 2016 and earlier, at relics, there were still a widespread use of paper money, tossing coins, beggars soliciting visitors, moreover, many relics were degraded, the environment is not guaranteed and there are difficulties in calling for socialization of investment and exploitation to serve socio-economic development goals.

Faced with that situation, on December 20, 2017, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 63/QD-UBND on regulations on management, protection and promotion of relic values in Lang Son province. Accordingly, districts and Lang Son city in the province have established district and commune-level relic management boards to direct and promote the role and initiative in preserving and promoting the value of relics. Thanks to that, the implementation of a civilized lifestyle at the relics has witnessed many positive changes.

Tourists visit and worship at Quy Mon Quan temple relic, Chi Lang commune, Chi Lang district

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in recent times, the Management Board of relics has developed operating regulations and internal rules to protect the relics as well as guide people, visitors to raise their awareness of preserving and protecting relics, landscapes, and the environment; implementing a civilized lifestyle and cultural beliefs in religious activities and festivals. The problems and negativity have gradually been solved. Specifically, up to now, over 90% of relics have limited the widespread burning of incense, burning of joss paper, tossing coins, beggars…

In early December 2023, we had the opportunity to visit the Dong Dang Mother Goddess Temple relic in Dong Dang town, Cao Loc district. Here, according to the reporter’s observation, there is no widespread offering money on the altars, and there are no longer beggars soliciting money from tourists in front of the gate.

Ms. Do Thi Thuy, Manager, Deputy Head of the Management Board of Dong Dang Mother Goddess Temple Relic, said: “On average each year, the relic attracts more than 10,000 visitors. To form a civilized lifestyle of people and tourists when visiting the relic, we have arranged members in the Management Board to remind residents and visitors, installed a speaker system to ask people and tourists to comply with the rules at the relic. In addition, we also coordinate with the specialized divisions of the Town People’s Committee to regularly inspect and hanle violations of the use and exploitation of relic values…”

“The entire province currently has about 21,000 Buddhists. The people and tourists at religious establishments are regularly informed about the implementation of a civilized lifestyle by the Provincial Buddhist Sangha including the restriction of buring incense in the shrine area, burning paper money at Buddhist worship facilities, instruction on how to release fish and get rid of incense sticks on December 23 every year, ban on dropping worship objects or incense sticks into Ky Cung river causing water pollution. The pagoda’s management boards also placed a notice board at the entrance clearly stating the rules and things not allowed in the pagoda, announcing through the loudspeaker every day to guide visitors to perform the ceremony in accordance with the law, ensuring civilization and safety.” Venerable Thich Quang Truyen, Member of the Executive Council, Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Lang Son province

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only Dong Dang Mother GoddessTemple relic, in recent years, the implementation of a civilized lifestyle has been seriously implemented by relics in the province. In particular, Lang Son has more than 200 unique festivals, most of which are held at typical relics such as Bac Nga Pagoda (Cao Loc); Ky Cung – Ta Phu temple, Tam Thanh pagoda, Thanh pagoda (Lang Son city); Tan Thanh Pagoda (Van Lang); Bac Le temple (Huu Lung), Na Nhem festival held at Lang Mo communal house (Bac Son)… have been implementing a civilized lifestyle at the relics, becoming attractions for many people and tourists across the country to visit, celebrate and worship.

The work of implementing a civilized lifestyle is always proactively carried out by the Management Board of relics organizing festivals. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung, Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Gia Cat commune, Cao Loc district, Head of the Management Board of Bac Nga Pagoda Relic, said: “Since the beginning of 2018, the Commune People’s Committee has established a Management Board with 8 members, 5 of them are member of the Commune People’s Committee. The Board has developed its own operating regulations and assigned specific tasks to each member. In particular, during the annual festival, we coordinate and assign tasks to each member, from planning booths to ensuring security and order… in which, environmental sanitation is assigned to the young people in the villages and schools, therefore, which in recent years, despite the large number of visitors and large amounts of waste, as soon as the festival ended we have cleaned up and returned the usual status for the relic.”

Implementing Implementing a civilized lifestyle at relics contributes to building a beautiful image in the hearts of tourists. Mr. Hoang Van Dung from Hanoi said: “I have been visiting Tam Thanh pagoda and Bac Le temple since 2019. At the end of 2023, I returned to the relics and was very impressed by the implementation of a  civilized lifestyle here. Although there are quite a lot of tourists coming here on weekends, the commune government has prepared and regulated well so there are no traffic jams, security and order are guaranteed. Tourists coming to visit the relic are reminded to comply with the regulations and they are all conscious of keeping the environment clean.”

Active participation of all levels and sectors

One of the factors creating this positive change is the propaganda and mobilization implemented by all levels and sectors in the province with many effective solutions.

Mr. Phan Van Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: “To further strengthen the roles and responsibilities of agencies, localities and the whole communities in management, protection and promotion  of the relic value, every year, the department has issued documents guiding the People’s Committees of districts and Lang Son city to direct divisions, units, localities, relic management boards and relevant agencies, units and individuals to effectively implement a number of contents such as regularly inspecting, guiding and rectifying the management, protection and promotion of relic values in the area; ensuring that relics are regularly protected; opening to serve people and visitors; internal regulations guiding the protection and promotion of relic values, implementing a civilized and cultural lifestyle at the relic; ensuring food hygiene and safety, fire and explosion prevention and control and environmental sanitation at the relic in accordance with regulations…

It is known that from 2017 up to now, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has chaired and coordinated with the People’s Committees of districts and Lang Son city to organize propaganda and integration training courses on implementing a civilized lifestyle to 11/11 districts and city for thousands of people.

Along with that, the cultural sector has coordinated with the People’s Committees of districts and city to strengthen supervision and inspection of the implementation of civilized lifestyle at relics and especially during festivals. It is known that from 2017 up to now, the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector has organized nearly 30 inspections in nearly 100 relics.

The city is a typical area in implementing a civilized lifestyle at relics. Mr. Tran Lenh Truong, Head of Lang Son City’s Culture and Information Division, said: “The city currently has 28 relic sites and areas including 18 architectural and artistic relics that are religious establishments. In order to promote the implementation of a civilized lifestyle at these relics, in recent times, the division has advised the City People’s Committee to issue documents directing and guiding the People’s Committees of communes and wards to establish and consolidate the relic management board and the standing committee on strengthening the management of activities at relics, guiding to post and spread the rules of conduct in public places at relics…”

Along with the city, currently, the District-level Relic Management Board has documents directing and guiding the People’s Committees at the commune and town levels to strengthen the management and implementation of a civilized lifestyle at the relics as well as actively implement many propaganda activities in many forms such as propaganda through loudspeakers, leaflets… to mobilize people and tourists to comply with regulations at relic sites. Up to now, nearly 100% of relics which are religious establishments in the province have a reception committee or representative to guide people and tourists. At the same time, over 95% of relics have listed regulations and general codes of conduct to build civilized regulations…

With the active participation of local authorities, the roles and responsibilities of management boards, belief and religious activities at relics in the province in recent times have been well carried out in accordance with civilized lifestyle.