Yen Tu - the sacred cradle of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism in the northern province of Quang Ninh - was lit up on March 7 as nearly 10,000 spectators and visitors gathered for a special art programme “Sacred Yen Tu - A Millennium of Spirit.”
With its role as a bridge linking the past, present and future, the Yen Tu Festival 2025 features a range of activities, highlighted by an exhibition presenting artefacts, ancient documents and modern 3D digital materials related to the Truc Lam Zen Sect.
These events are expected to draw between 10,000 and 50,000 visitors, contributing to the northern province’s goal of developing identity-rich culture linked with heritage and night-time economic activities.
The annual festival continues this legacy, showcasing the Yen Tu historical and scenic site to domestic and international visitors while strengthening tourism development and investment opportunities.
Nestled in the mountainous forests of Quang Ninh provine, the Ngoa Van Pagoda and Hermitage Complex stands as a revered spiritual destination. This is the sacred site where King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong practised asceticism and attained enlightenment. It was recognised as a Special National Relic in 2014.
The Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son – Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes, spanning Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh provinces and Hai Phong city, has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list.
In the afternoon of July 12 (Paris time), at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Professor Nikolay Nenov, Chairman of the Session, officially knocked the hammer to recognise the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Relics and Landscape Complex as a World Cultural Heritage site.
For Vietnamese people, spring travel is more than just sightseeing, it carries deep spiritual significance, symbolising prayers for a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous new year.
Yen Tu, nestled in the northern province of Quang Ninh, annually beckons around 1 million pilgrims seeking to immerse themselves in its sacred Buddhist ambiance, spurring the emergence of services catering to those looking for a deeper connection to unique heritage.
The Yen Tu special national relic site, a famous spiritual tourism destination in northern Quang Ninh province, attracts tens of thousands of Buddhists and visitors every spring. Few people, however, know that the site also has a unique and stunning beauty during the autumn season.
President Vo Van Thuong urged Quang Ninh to become a dynamic and comprehensive centre, an international tourism and marine economy hub, and the gateway of the northern key economic region and the whole country, while attending a ceremony celebrating the 60th anniversary of the northeastern province on October 28.
A thematic exhibition on "The sacred Buddhist land of Tay Yen Tu - A thousand-year-old relic from the ground" was opened on February 1 in the northern province of Bac Giang with nearly 500 Buddhist artifacts and images being displayed.
The northern province of Bac Giang has planned numerous cultural tourism activities to boost its tourism, targeting to attract about 2 million visitors this year.
Coming to Yen Tu relic site in Quang Ninh province – Vietnam’s major Buddhist centre, tourists can also experience traditional crafts such as making hats, bamboo handicrafts, and wood carvings.
The Yen Tu Spring Festival kicked off on February 10 or the 10th day of the Lunar New Year with a ceremony to pray for peaceful nation and happy people at Hoa Yen Pagoda in Uong Bi city, the northern province of Quang Ninh.
The northern coastal province of Quang Ninh is determined to quickly and sustainably recover the local tourism this year by welcoming between 9.53 million to 10 million visitors, including 1.5 million foreigners, said Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hanh.
The Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscape is a place of great historic and religious importance in Vietnam. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism together with the National UNESCO Committee has recently prepared a report nominating the inclusion of the Yen Tu Complex in the list of those planned to have world heritage dossiers to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
