The Ministry of Culture announced the withdrawal of the death anniversary of Mrs. Phi Yen from the list of non-cultural heritage

On April 26, the Nguyen Phuoc Tribe (descendants of King Gia Long) and cultural and historical researchers in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Thua Thien Hue held a scientific discussion. An Son temple and Mrs. Phi Yen in Con Dao – a matter of legends to heritage records.

At the discussion, some scientists said that the Cultural Heritage Department had arbitrarily and irresponsibly recognized the death anniversary of Ms. Phi Yen in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage without appraisal. The historical background of the An Son temple relic and the legend of Mrs. Phi Yen. On April 27, the Nguyen Phuoc Tribe Board of Directors together with cultural and historical researchers signed a petition to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other agencies. relevant authority on withdrawal Phi Yen’s death anniversary from the list of national intangible cultural heritage.

Talking to VietNamNet, Ms. Le Thi Thu Hien – Director of the Department of Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) said that on October 27, 2021, the Cultural Heritage Department received Report No. 197/TTr -The People’s Committee of October 25, 2021 of the People’s Committee of Ba Ria Vung Tau province on the proposal to recognize the death anniversary of Madame Hoang Phi Yen in Con Dao district, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province in the List of cultural heritages national intangible.

After studying, it was found that the content and composition of the Dossier met the provisions of Circular 04/2010 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stipulating the inventory of intangible cultural heritage and making records. scientific dossier of intangible cultural heritage for inclusion in the list of national intangible cultural heritage. On January 21, 2022, the Department of Cultural Heritage organized to consult the Intangible Cultural Heritage Appraisal Council as a basis to propose the Minister to include in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in accordance with the provisions of this Law. correct appraisal process.

On the basis of assessment and recommendations of the Council, on January 26, 2022, the Cultural Heritage Department submitted to the Minister for consideration and decision to include this heritage in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Decision No. 773/QD BVHTTDL).

The head of the Department of Cultural Heritage said that the Provincial Relic Ranking Profile An Son Temple (An Son Temple, the place where the death anniversary ceremony of the second wife Hoang Phi Yen took place) of Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province (Decision No. 1442/QD.UB dated April 18, 2007) and the Scientific Records of Intangible Cultural Heritage on the death anniversary of Queen Consort Hoang Phi Yen both represent Ms. Hoang Phi Yen (Le Thi Ram, Concubine of Lord Nguyen Phuc. Anh is a legendary figure.According to the legend of the island’s inhabitants, during her lifetime, she and Lord Nguyen fled the Tay Son army and fled to Con Dao. but died, once nearly humiliated, she chose to commit suicide to maintain her filial piety.Admiring her virtue and frugality, seeing her mother and daughter die sacred, the people on the island built a temple (around 1785. ) worshiped since then.According to the custom, every year, they often hold a ceremony for her death anniversary at An Son shrine.

Thus, Ms. Hoang Phi Yen is a character who, although only recognized through legends, has been worshiped by the residents in Con Dao since ancient times and considers this to be the core of belief (sacred element) of the festival. At An Son Temple, the date is determined to be the death anniversary of the second wife Hoang Phi Yen. It is a cultural expression/cultural practice that meets the criteria under the UNESCO definition of intangible cultural heritage (Convention 2003 for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage) and in the Heritage Law. culture, to be identified as an intangible cultural heritage.

The inclusion of this heritage in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage is a recognition of the religious activities of the island community, recognized and protected by law, and also a recognition of the values, role and meaning of the festival to the local community, as well as the community’s role in creating, maintaining and transmitting their cultural identity to create cultural diversity of the ethnic groups of Vietnam, but does not mean to register characters in legends or to register historical stories or related legends.

According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, nationwide, there are currently 65,900 intangible cultural heritages inventory, of which only 431 are listed by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, with 171 heritages belonging to the type of traditional festivals. Most of these festivals have “sacred” elements, associated with myths and legends related to worshiped characters, such as saints, historical gods (folk deities/saints). creations are enriched with historical elements – like Saint Giong) or real characters in history are mythized (real people are fortified with mythological elements, “sanctified” – like Tran Hung Dao ) to have a firm foothold in the flow of folklore and in the community’s consciousness.

It is one of the elements constituting the intangible cultural heritage. Compared with tangible cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage is difficult to identify and not easily accessible. While the concept as well as activities to protect and promote the value of this type of heritage is relatively new (officially legalized since 2001); The inventory and making of scientific records to put the heritage on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is just one of the initial steps in the protection and promotion of the value of the intangible cultural heritage. Accordingly, the general perception of intangible cultural heritage in management, research, media and society is not really unified and even…

Therefore, in the coming time, the Department of Cultural Heritage will strengthen coordination with relevant localities, agencies and units, especially media agencies to provide information, propaganda and training. raise social awareness about cultural heritage in general and intangible cultural heritage in particular, avoiding interpretations and interpretations that are not in accordance with the spirit of the 2003 Convention, Law on Cultural Heritage on cultural heritage. intangible cultural heritage and the inclusion of intangible cultural heritage in lists,” said Ms. Hien.

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