Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of An Giang Province, Huynh Thi Nhu Lam, stated that historical and cultural relics are not merely architectural works or artifacts marked by time, but also places that preserve knowledge, cultural traditions, and the heroic history of the nation. Relics play an important role in maintaining national cultural identity, enriching the spiritual life of the people, while also promoting cultural tourism development and contributing to local socio-economic growth.

In recent years, the work of conserving cultural heritage, managing and organizing festivals, protecting heritage, and restoring relics has continued to be emphasized and actively implemented in the province. The province has issued many regulations on heritage management, focusing on protecting and exploiting relics. In addition, technology has been applied through mapping and zoning protection at relic sites, helping to improve management and communication, contributing to traditional education, tourism development, and promoting the unique cultural values of the Southern region.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhanh, Head of the Culture – Society Office of Dong Thai Commune, said that in recent times, the management, conservation, and promotion of Nam Thai communal house relics have achieved many successes thanks to the attention of authorities at all levels. The Nam Thai Communal House Relic Protection Board has effectively mobilized socialized resources, promoting the role of the community in conserving and promoting the relic. In particular, they regularly and proactively take care of rituals and ceremonies, as well as perform well in protecting and preserving the relic, complying with regulations on restoration and embellishment, thereby meeting the cultural and spiritual needs of the people.

In 2025, the Department of Culture and Sports of the province presided over and coordinated with relevant departments, agencies, and localities to organize the Ceremony of Receiving the Decision of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism on including “The Art of Chhay-dam Drum Performance of the Khmer People in Tri Ton District and Tinh Bien Town, An Giang Province” in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The Department also coordinated with the Oc Eo Cultural Relic Management Board to prepare the dossier for the Oc Eo – Ba The archaeological site to propose UNESCO to include it in the Tentative List for World Heritage nomination; completed the installation of QR code boards introducing relics at 20 provincially ranked relics; implemented mapping of protection zones for historical-cultural relics and scenic landscapes already ranked in the province. In addition, adjustments to protection zoning and landmark placement were carried out for Binh San Mountain scenic relic (Ha Tien Ward), U Minh Thuong Base historical relic (U Minh Thuong Commune), and Ba Hon historical and scenic relic (Hon Dat Commune). At the same time, six scientific dossiers were prepared to propose provincial-level relic ranking.

The application of digital technology in conserving, promoting, and publicizing relic values and festival activities is becoming an inevitable trend, increasingly developing strongly. In particular, the popularity of social networks serves as a bridge helping the public to interact, connect, and spread relic and festival values more proactively and flexibly. Mr. Le Dinh Quoc Viet, Deputy Head of Business and Tourism Services Management Division, Sam Mountain National Tourist Area Management Board, said that the Board realized that promoting tourism through media and social platforms is an opportunity to build the image and information of Sam Mountain National Tourist Area to visitors. Therefore, the unit has taken the right steps in creating channels such as Website, Facebook, Fanpage, YouTube, TikTok… to post images and videos of relic activities and festival activities in Sam Mountain National Tourist Area. Thanks to photos, films, articles, and information being “liked” and “shared,” the community both domestically and internationally has become more widely aware.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of An Giang Province, Huynh Thi Nhu Lam, stated that in 2026, the provincial cultural sector will continue to strengthen the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values, both tangible and intangible, through building dossiers and projects to conserve and promote intangible cultural heritage of ethnic groups in the province. The Department focuses on inventorying, listing, and researching intangible cultural heritage associated with relics and proposing inclusion in the national heritage list.

At the same time, it continues to improve the effectiveness of state management in the field of cultural heritage, conserving and promoting relic values linked with sustainable cultural heritage tourism development; proactively implementing programs and plans of the sector and the province. In addition, it coordinates with specialized agencies to effectively carry out technical supervision, ensuring compliance with the original elements of relics and legal regulations; and promotes research and application in conserving traditional materials and artifact preservation techniques.

News by Trung Hieu

Translator: Thi Huynh