Geological heritage – A precious resource for tourism development

Lang Son is one of the areas rich in potential for heritage tourism, including geological heritage. In recent years, all levels and sectors of the province have paid attention to the assessment, research and development of geoheritage to bring benefits to the local community, contribute to realizing the goal of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector of the province.

Potential diversity of geological heritage

According to Clause 8, Article 2 of Decree 158 dated November 29, 2016 of the Government on detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Minerals, geoheritage is a part of geological resources of outstanding scientific, educational, aesthetic and economic value.

Geoheritage includes: paleontological heritage; geomorphological heritage (geological landscape, cave); environmental ancient heritage (geological outcrop containing vestiges); stone heritage; stratigraphic heritage; mineral heritage, minerals…

The UNESCO delegation was introduced by the narrator of the Chi Lang Victory Gallery about the potentials of geological heritage in Chi Lang district.

With the characteristic of being a mountainous province, the process of formation and development of topography, geology, and nature has endowed Lang Son with many wonderful natural landscapes. These are geomorphological landscapes, paleontological sites, caves, natural rivers, lakes and waterfalls that have been revealed or are hidden.

Mr. Nong Duc Kien, Director of the Provincial Museum said: Every year, we coordinate with the Institute of Archeology, Vietnam National Museum of History… to survey, scout, excavate, research on geological heritage in the province. Through the survey, the provincial museum staff and experts all clearly realized the potential of the province’s geoheritage such as: diversity in biostratigraphy and paleontology; diverse lithological stratigraphy, many standard geological cross-sections… These geoheritage values have been identified, discovered, exploited and used with common names as archaeological relics and scenic spots.

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province currently has more than 110 archaeological relics and scenic spots. For example: the complex of scenic relics Nhi – Tam Thanh – Citadel of the Mac Dynasty – To Thi mountain (Lang Son city); Mau Son mountain complex, Mau Son ancient spiritual land, Phat Chi mountain, Ban Khieng waterfall (Loc Binh); Tham Hai cave, Tham Khuyen cave (Binh Gia); Bat Cave (Bac Son)…

In addition, some monuments belong to the type of historical relics but are caves, mountains and hills. Typically, the Bac Son Uprising relic site has Sa Khao cave (Tan Huong commune); Mo Re cave (Tan Huong commune); Lan Pan cave (Tan Lap commune)… Chi Lang historical relic area with Ba Dang mountain, Ky Lan mountain, Phuong Hoang mountain, Devil face mountain (Chi Lang commune), Lung Ngan mountain (Chi Lang town)… The above sites are an important potential for tourism development that cannot be found in every localities.

Awakening the potential, turn the legacy into asset

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Ha, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: With the goal of building and developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector, in which, taking cultural heritage as the foundation and driving force for development, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has researched, developed and advised the Provincial People’s Committee to approve the project on preserving, embellishing and promoting the value of the system of historical – cultural relics and scenic spots in the province in the period of 2021 – 2030 (Decision No. 855/QD-UBND dated April 22, 2021). The project clearly outlines solutions to protect, manage and promote the value of archaeological relics. In which, it focuses on a number of specific solutions such as promoting education and propaganda on archaeological culture, pre-historic relics in Lang Son; expand cooperation between museums and international organizations; continue to investigate, survey, explore and display on-site results of excavations; promptly encourage and reward people who are conscious of detecting and protecting cultural heritage as well as studying and dealing with those who intentionally infringe or destroy relics…

Director of Na Duong Coal Company, Loc Binh district introduced the potential of geoheritage in the region to a delegation of UNESCO experts

Accordingly, the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector has paid attention to well implementing the management, conservation and exploitation of the value of the relic system, including archaeological relics, scenic spots – valuable geological heritage in the province. Specifically, the sector promulgated documents on the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values; made records of relic protection, carrried out the management of monuments; planned the development of relic sites into tourist areas and attractions of the province such as Nhi Tam Thanh scenic area – Mac Dynasty citadel, Mau Son national tourist area… and most recently, building a project to build and develop a Geopark.

Along with that, the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector has improved the capture of information and the situation of monuments through professional activities such as: surveying, inventory, cataloging the system of monuments in the area, compiling background profiles, zoning protection zones and request the competent authorities to rank them in order to create a legal and scientific corridor for the protection, promoting the value of the monument. Up to now, the whole province has 33 ranked archaeological relics and scenic spots.

The conservation, restoration, embellishment and promotion of relic values are carried out regularly and effectively according to the trend of promoting socialization in restoration, embellishment and promotion of monument values in the province. From 2017 to now, the whole province has 58 times of monuments, including archaeological relics and scenic spots invested and embellished with an amount of over 84 billion VND (in which socialization resources accounted for 55.1%). Since then, it created a diversified closed population, initially serving well the sightseeing needs of tourists and the needs of religious and religious activities of all classes of people.

Thus, the efforts of the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector in particular, departments, agencies, committees, and authorities at all levels in general have contributed to preserving and promoting valuable archaeological values – natural resources, cultural heritage to serve the development of tourism, traditional education for the young generation and the sightseeing, research and study needs of the people inside and outside the province. Thereby, the province gradually exploit, awake the potential, bring benefits to the local community, contribute to the realization of the goal of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector of the province.