Blending history and culture in future aspirations

On the new land of Tay Ninh, every step of development bears the mark of a glorious past, echoing historical sounds with colorful cultural values and a firm, bright belief in a bright future. The people here, with their hearts beating to the rhythm of their homeland, always know how to appreciate and cherish the historical heritage of their ancestors; at the same time, they constantly affirm their desire for innovation, dare to think, to do, to face challenges to turn their burning dreams into beautiful realities.

Tay Ninh Holy See as a landmark when viewed from above (Photo: Internet)

A rich history and culture

Tay Ninh province is a land with a rich history and culture, a place where many cultural currents converge and intersect, creating a colorful picture. The history here is marked through the ages, starting from ancient, silent relics such as Binh Thanh Ancient Tower and Chop Mat Tower, bearing the imprint of the once brilliant Oc Eo and Champa cultures (around the 1st to 15th centuries), a strong testament to the Phu Nam - Chan Lap civilization that once flourished in this land.

During the feudal period under the Nguyen Dynasty (19th century), the Hundred Pillar House in old Long An, with its unique and sophisticated architecture, stood tall as a vivid symbol of the architecture and cultural life of that time. During the resistance war against the French colonialists and the American imperialists, this land became the cradle, the center of the steadfast revolution with famous places that have gone down in history such as the resounding victory of Vam Nhut Tao, the Southern Resistance - Administrative Committee Base, the secret and steadfast Central Bureau Base, the heroic Duong Minh Chau Base along with the land of Long An bearing the 8 brilliant golden words "Bravery and resilience, the whole people fighting the enemy" and the immense and boundless Dong Thap Muoi, once known as "Viet Bac of the South" during the arduous and heroic resistance periods.

Today, Dong Thap Muoi has become a large and fertile rice granary in the Mekong Delta region, providing an abundant source of food for the whole country. The Tay Ninh border area in the late 1970s was also a hot spot, where our army and people fought steadfastly against the Khmer Rouge's attack with much pain but also with pride in their indomitable spirit.

The unique feature in the cultural picture of Tay Ninh province is its astonishing diversity. This is the sacred holy land of Caodaism, a unique indigenous religion with the majestic and magnificent Tay Ninh Holy See, towering in the blue sky, an architectural and spiritual symbol that attracts millions of followers and tourists from all over the world every year. The Holy See's architecture is a harmonious and unique combination of many different religious elements such as Buddhism, Catholicism, Confucianism and Taoism, creating a unique work. Besides, there is the presence of ethnic communities such as Khmer, Cham, Chinese and especially the Ta Mun community with their own unique and distinct cultural features that are being preserved and promoted. Buddhist culture with ancient, quiet pagodas and folk beliefs with vibrant traditional festivals also have a profound influence on the spiritual life of the people.

The Southern land has a strong cultural identity of the Mekong Delta river, with sweet, melodious folk music (an intangible cultural heritage of humanity recognized by UNESCO), the Ky Yen festivals at ancient communal houses expressing the deep spirit of "When drinking water, remember the source" and the strong connection of the community, or the unique Lam Chay Festival, imbued with spirituality and tradition.

This diversity is also reflected in the rich cuisine with famous specialties from near and far, making visitors remember forever after just one bite, such as Trang Bang's fragrant, sticky rice paper, sweet Ba Den custard apple, spicy Tay Ninh salt or fragrant Nang Thom Cho Dao rice, red Chau Thanh dragon fruit, juicy Ben Luc seedless lime, sausage, Can Duoc crab fish sauce with rich flavors of the countryside.

The Ky Yen and Lam Chay festivals, along with the typical customs and practices of the Khmer, Cham and Chinese communities, add to the vibrant and brilliant cultural picture of the new province. It is the diversity and wonderful blend of historical, cultural, religious, belief and customary elements that will create a new Tay Ninh that is colorful, attractive and has a proud cultural depth.

The pearl of folk art

In that flowing cultural flow, the folk art of both Long An and Tay Ninh has contributed significantly to the unique, unmistakable identity of the new province. Long An is proud to be the hometown of the late talented musician Cao Van Lau, who made great contributions to the development and advancement of the art of Southern don ca tai tu.

The sweet, profound melodies of Southern don ca tai tu are imbued with the soul of the countryside, captivating people's hearts. In addition, Long An also preserves the unique features of traditional opera, graceful belly dancing and river chants.

On the Tay Ninh side, Southern don ca tai tu is also an indispensable part, closely linked to the cultural and spiritual life of the people. In particular, Tay Ninh is also famous for the unique rowing boat ritual of Caodaism, imbued with mystical spiritual colors, attracting curiosity and exploration.

The Khmer community here has graceful and rhythmic sa-dam drum dances along with traditional singing and gold tray dances, demonstrating the richness and diversity in spiritual and cultural life. These folk art works are not only the pride and treasures of the people but also precious gems that need to be cherished, preserved and promoted.

Parading with Mr.Tieu statue - the main activity in the Lam Chay Festival in Chau Thanh district, Long An province

Breakthrough potential, future aspirations

With outstanding advantages in terms of strategic geographical location, large population and area, rich natural resources, diverse economic foundation, increasingly complete infrastructure system and colorful cultural and historical heritage, Tay Ninh province is facing a golden opportunity to break through and become an important and strong growth pole of the Southern Key Economic Zone and the whole country.

Looking towards a bright future, the people of Tay Ninh have many burning, intense aspirations and the desire to join hands and contribute to building an increasingly rich and civilized homeland. From the people who are attached to and love this land, the development orientations are not only plans on paper but also the passion and strong belief in a new prosperous Tay Ninh:

Completing the transport infrastructure system, creating smooth connections and smooth traffic. People are eager for the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway project to be completed soon, making the dream of a vital route no longer far-fetched, and at the same time, they hope that roads and waterways will be invested more strongly to erase the geographical gap between the Northern and Southern regions.

Maximizing the economic strengths of each region but must be closely linked to form a unified, strong block. People expect the government to have sharp and effective incentive policies so that the South will shine brightly with modern industry and vibrant logistics, the North will radiate the fragrance of high-tech agriculture, bustling border gate economy and unique spiritual and ecological tourism. All will blend and complement each other to form a sustainable value chain, bringing great and practical benefits to the whole province.

Paying close attention to the balanced and harmonious development between regions, not leaving anyone, anywhere behind. From remote border areas with many difficulties to underdeveloped rural areas, people expect investment resources to be allocated fairly and reasonably so that every smile on the lips will shine with the sweet fruits of common development.

Attracting investment but ensuring sustainability and environmental friendliness. People unanimously support high-quality investment projects, applying modern, advanced, and environmentally friendly technology, which not only create stable jobs and increase income for people but also serve as a solid launching pad for long-term, sustainable development, so that future generations can proudly inherit it.

People also want the younger generation to be fully equipped with knowledge and skills through a high-quality education system, a systematic vocational training program, suitable to social needs to become excellent and useful citizens, contributing to bringing the new Tay Ninh to reach out, standing shoulder to shoulder with other provinces.

Respecting, preserving and promoting diverse and unique cultural identities is not only a source of pride and treasure but also the soul and soft power of a new Tay Ninh. People yearn for the unique cultural values of Caodaism, the Khmer, Cham, Ta Mun communities and the Mekong Delta river culture to be preserved and promoted, turning heritage into an endogenous strength, attracting tourists and affirming the position of the homeland on the world tourism map.

New Tay Ninh - a vast, diverse and vibrant countryside, with a strong desire to rise like a ship breaking through the waves. With the solidarity of people from all over the province, the new Tay Ninh will definitely maximize its existing potentials and advantages and join hands to overcome all difficulties and challenges, creating brilliant and glorious development pages, worthy of its important strategic position and its rich historical and cultural traditions.

People place their full trust and expectation in the wise and talented leadership of Party committees at all levels, the smooth and effective operation of the two-level local government model. With this pioneering and innovative spirit, the new Tay Ninh province promises to rise to the level of other provinces in the region and the whole country, contributing to enriching the glorious tradition and prosperity of our beloved Vietnam.

On the journey to conquer 100 years of history, the new Tay Ninh will paint an inspiring picture of development, where heroic history blends with the desire for constant innovation and creativity. This land not only shines with its outstanding economic potential but also preserves unique and distinctive cultural values. Let the tradition as steadfast as a mountain, the aspiration for the future burn like fire together to weave a story of success and brilliance for a new Tay Ninh - where every step forward is a strong affirmation of pride and deep love for the motherland./.

Reported by Tran Quoc Viet 

Translated by NT