Pho Hien, the land once a bustling port town in the north hundreds years ago, was brought back to its glorious past through a special art performance programme.

The event was held on April 26 in the Red River Delta province of Hung Yen on the occasion of the reception of a certificate of the special national relic site given to Pho Hien.

The programme was to restore artistic values of the former international trading port in the North, Pho Hien.

Hung Yen province, about 60 km southeast of Hanoi, is rich in cultural heritage sites with more than 1,200 ancient monuments including 161 classified as national heritage and 400 festivals and traditional ceremonies.

Pho Hien relic complex lies in Dang Chau village (Lam Son district) and Ne Chau village (Hong Chau district) in Hien street.

The site was a bustling commercial port on the Red River with its heyday recorded in the 17th -18th century.

Pho Hien was second to the Imperial capital city of Thang Long as a trading point. It was well-known among foreign traders, especially those from China, Japan and the Netherlands.

The area is home to more than 100 cultural and historical relics, including Hien Pagoda, Mau (Goddess) Temple, May (Cloud) Temple and Chuong Pagoda. Eighteen of them have received national recognition.-VNA