Current Status of Tourism Exploitation at Historical and Cultural Relics in Bac Ninh

1.2.4.3. Dong Ho folk painting village

“Hey girl with the green belt, if you want to come back to Mai village with me, then come back

Mai Village has a calendar and rules.

There is a cool pond to bathe in and a profession of making paintings"

(Folk song)

Mai Village is Dong Ho village - the hometown of the famous Dong Ho painting genre, located next to the Duong River in Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province.

Because it was born from a land with a cultural foundation and traditional handicrafts, Dong Ho soon emerged as a bright spot in the material culture and proud spiritual culture of the Kinh Bac region. While painting genres such as Hang Trong paintings, Sinh village paintings, and Kim Hoan paintings were modernized and lost to the present, Dong Ho paintings are still maintained and stand firm, attracting the attention of tourists, especially international visitors. Today, Dong Ho can be considered the most famous folk painting production center in Vietnam.

The unique feature of Dong Ho paintings is that they must be painted on Do paper, made from Do tree bark, covered with a layer of powder made from scallop shells. The colors used for painting are completely taken from natural materials such as: blue from indigo leaves, red from red pebbles, black from bamboo leaf charcoal, yellow from Sophora japonica flowers, white from scallop shells... Initially, the paintings were mostly religious in nature, gradually expanding to decorate houses, reflecting daily life as well as reflecting the dreams and aspirations of the people. The type of paintings with the largest quantity and most popular today are those reflecting the aspirations and dreams of the working people for a prosperous and happy life such as Hung Dua, Danh Ghen, Danh Vat, Choi Swing, Tha Dieu... Due to contact with many other folk paintings, especially Hang Trong paintings, Dong Ho paintings have appeared with new themes such as Tu Binh paintings, story paintings... [17, 113].

Dong Ho woodcut paintings are not only attractive in their ideological content but also satisfy the aesthetic needs of viewers. Although the aesthetic needs of society

has changed, the content of the paintings, although not completely correct in the context of modern society, is still attractive. Today, Dong Ho paintings still exist but are no longer as prosperous as before. In the past, most families in the village made paintings, but now there are only three households: Mr. Nguyen Dang Che, Mr. Nguyen Huu Sam and Mr. Tran Nhat Tan. However, if given proper attention and investment, Dong Ho folk painting village can certainly become one of the attractive tourist destinations for visitors to Bac Ninh.

1.2.5. Quan Ho cuisine

In Vietnam, each region and each locality has its own rustic dishes that are imbued with regional identity. Bac Ninh is a typical countryside of the Northern countryside, so the traditional dishes here all have the rich flavor of the land of the sea far from the forest.

1.2.5.1. Phu The Cake

Phu The cake is a specialty of Dinh Bang countryside (Bac Ninh). This is a characteristic of Kinh Bac culinary culture. Those who have not eaten it are attracted by its name, but those who have enjoyed it once cannot forget its unique flavor.

The cake was formerly called “xu xue” cake, later changed to “phu the” meaning husband and wife, because the cake usually comes in pairs and is one of the indispensable gifts in the weddings of Kinh Bac people. The cake is square, large, flat, wrapped in dong leaves, tied with fresh red string, as a symbol of the couple's loyalty. The cake is made from yellow sticky rice flour, not from yellow starch like other cakes. When making the cake, you have to knead the dough with gardenia juice to get the natural color, no food coloring is added. People also grate green papaya, soak it in alum, then cut it into small pieces and knead it with the dough to make the cake more crispy. The filling is made from stir-fried mung beans with sugar, shredded coconut and lotus seed jam. When eating the cake, we will feel the stickiness of sticky rice, the crispiness of papaya, the richness of green beans, the fat of coconut meat, the richness of lotus seeds, the sweetness of sugar..., all blend together to create the cake's very own flavor. [32].

The round cake filling is inside a square coconut leaf mold, like the square and round symbol of the yin and yang philosophy. People spread the dough thinly on the mold, put the filling at one end and then cover the remaining dough on top of the filling, as if to show the embrace and protection of husband and wife love. The philosophy of the five elements is also subtly expressed through the five colors of the cake: white of tapioca flour and coconut pulp, yellow of gardenia and bean filling, black of sesame seeds, green of leaves, red of strings..., all symbolizing the harmony of heaven and earth and human beings.

Nowadays, the economy has developed, the standard of living has increased, but Phu The cake is still a favorite cake of many people. According to Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lua, a famous cake maker in Dinh Bang village, there was a Korean man who, after being invited to eat Phu The cake, bought a suitcase of cakes as a gift to his homeland, even though the airfare was one and a half times more expensive than the price of the cake [33]. That proves that Phu The cake is very attractive to tourists, attractive not only because of its taste but also because of the meaning of this cake. If exploited, this will be an indispensable gift from the countryside for those who have the opportunity to pass through Bac Ninh.

1.2.5.2. Banh te of Cho village

Banh te is a specialty of the people of Cho village (Yen Phong, Bac Ninh). However, few people know about and enjoy this dish because Banh te is currently only made to serve the need for breakfast on the spot.

No one knows exactly when Banh Te Cho appeared, but it is known that on holidays and weddings, every family in the village displays this special dish on the altar.

Banh te lang Cho is made from fragrant, long-grained, not chalky, and less sticky rice. The rice is washed and then ground into flour. The finer the flour is ground, the stickier the cake will be. The flour is kept in a basin, the clear water is drained out a couple of times a day, then cold water is added and stirred well, and kept in a cool, airy place. The flour must not give off a sour smell. Before making the cake, all the remaining clear water in the flour basin must be drained, the flour must be put in a pot, put on the stove over low heat and stirred constantly until the flour is thick, in a state of half-raw, half-cooked, then the cake is wrapped.

The filling of banh te is made from minced lean meat with wood ear mushrooms, onions, and stir-fried pepper.

cooked. Banh te is wrapped in fresh dong leaves, boiled until soft and tied with banana strings or small strips of string. Put the cake in a pot of boiling water and boil for about 15 minutes. When you peel the cake off and see that the dough does not stick to the leaves, the cake is cooked. [30]

Banh te lang Cho is best eaten hot. People here often make the cakes during holidays, Tet or parties. In the past, after each party, the host would give the guests some cakes to take home to the elderly or children to show their gratitude.

1.2.5.3. Nem Bui

In addition to the types of cakes that make you want to enjoy just by hearing the name, Bui Xa village, Ninh Xa commune, Thuan Thanh district is also famous at home and abroad for its Nem Bui, comparable to Nem Phung, Nem Ve... Nem village Bui was once chosen to be presented to the king, during the French colonial period, the French also loved this dish, but during the subsidy period, the profession of making Nem village Bui was lost because at that time, the whole village only raised hybrid pigs for economic purposes, so it was impossible to make Nem Bui because the meat was fibrous and smelly.

The ingredients to make Nem Bui must be black pigs, with a broken back in the shape of a saddle, a short snout, and fed with rice bran and duckweed, or banana leaves. The whole pig can only be butchered with two loins and the nape fat to make Nem. The process requires using julienned meat, then adding garlic, chili, vinegar, and ground rice bran, squeezing it tightly and wrapping it in banana leaves. After 3 days, the Nem will ripen on its own, then it can be eaten. Open the banana leaves, the square Nem is tightly pressed, has a light pink color, the aroma of rice bran, the fatty, rich, sour taste of meat. Nem Bui does not need to be dipped in sauce because the Nem is already seasoned to taste.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, one of the long-time nem makers in Bui village, said that 6 years ago, 3 Western men, nearly 90 years old, came back to the village to eat the nem that they had eaten a few times when they were soldiers for the French. At that time, the nem making profession had died out and was not available; therefore, they sent money back to order people in Bui village to raise pigs to make nem. During the Canh Dan New Year 2010, Mr. Thanh's family exported 40kg of Bui nem to France. Not only the Western gourmets, but now the parties of the wealthy families in the area also come to the village to order Bui nem in large numbers. [34]

Nem lang Bui has become a hometown gift for many people at home and abroad.

favorite. In the cold season, Nem Bui is "exported" to many countries as gifts such as: Japan, Russia, America...

1.3. Summary of Chapter 1

The entire content of chapter 1 is the theoretical basis and overview of cultural tourism resources in Bac Ninh. In the general theoretical basis, the author has introduced the concepts of culture, tourism and cultural tourism as well as ways to classify humanistic tourism resources. That is the basis for classifying and studying in depth about typical cultural tourism resources that have exploitation value for tourism in Bac Ninh. That is also the orientation to review and evaluate the current status of cultural tourism development in Bac Ninh, on that basis, propose some solutions to further develop this type of tourism in Bac Ninh province.

It can be said that along with the development of Vietnam tourism, Bac Ninh tourism is increasingly developing. Currently, cultural tourism is the main tourism product of the province. However, the exploitation is not yet commensurate with the available potential of the region.

CHAPTER 2:

CURRENT STATUS OF EXPLOITATION OF CULTURAL TOURISM IN BAC NINH

2.1. Current status of tourism exploitation at historical and cultural relics in Bac Ninh

Considered the land of communal houses, temples, pagodas and festivals, Bac Ninh province has over

1,259 historical and cultural relics, of which 191 are ranked at the national level and 237 are ranked at the provincial level. These relics have been and are important elements that make up the cultural identity of Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac in particular and Vietnam in general, because they contain historical, cultural, and architectural values typical of the nation through the stages of development.

With the attention of authorities at all levels, managers and scientists, many relics in the province have preserved their traditional values, and the campus and landscape have been renovated, contributing to building an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, while opening up great prospects for developing the tourism industry in Bac Ninh.

However, due to the large number of historical and cultural relics and their wide distribution in 8 districts, towns and cities in the province, many relics were built thousands of years ago and are now seriously degraded. In addition, the awareness of people in some localities about heritage protection in general is still limited, in some relics there is still the phenomenon of land encroachment, the restoration and embellishment of relics lack of funds... which has significantly affected the management, restoration and conservation of relics. On the other hand, the promotion of the value of relics through tourism activities currently lacks effective solutions, there is no synchronous coordination between management, conservation and organization of tourism activities. At the relics, there are still limitations in expanding cooperation and connecting with travel companies to build attractive tourism products, there is no professional tour guide force, souvenir products are still poor, there is a lack of wharves, parking lots, toilets..., information about the relics to tourists is not much, and the number of workers participating in local tourism activities is very small. Therefore, it can be seen that although there is a lot of potential, the relic sites

Cultural history in Bac Ninh still lacks initiative and the ability to welcome guests.

2.1.1. Exploitation at Temple relics

2.1.1.1. Dau Pagoda

Dau Pagoda, has long been considered a peak in the Buddhist triangle of Vietnam (Yen Tu - Dau Pagoda - Bo Da Pagoda); is one of 38 particularly important national relics. The pagoda is located in the center of the most typical and rich historical and cultural relic area of Kinh Bac homeland. This place includes Luy Lau ancient citadel, Sy Nhiep temple and tomb, pagoda and tower system, temple vestiges, mansions, roads, wharves, markets... The attraction of traditional culture is the reason for tourists to come to Dau Pagoda. According to statistics of the Department of Culture and Information of Thuan Thanh district, in recent years the number of tourists coming to Dau Pagoda and especially the number of international tourists has increased, mainly concentrated on the occasion of Lunar New Year and the New Year festival.

Table 1. Total number of tourists to Dau Pagoda in 2010

Unit: Number of people

Months of the year

Total number of tourists	Including: International tourist area
January	3,753	208
February	28,725	225
March	9,450	250
April	1,158	152
May	2,200	122
June	958	50
July	930	30
August	985	65
September	830	68
October	993	103
November	1258	57
December	1335	52