On the morning of August 24, 2022, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a science workshop to assess the current status of conserving and promoting the values of intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark within the framework of the provincial scientific research "Researching, conserving and promoting the values of some types of intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark". Attending the workshop were representatives of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, departments, committees and agencies in the province; leaders of the People's Committees and Culture and Information Divisions of the districts: Bac Son, Binh Gia, Chi Lang, Huu Lung, and Van Quan; central and local scientific researchers; artisans in Lang Son province and Lang Son Geopark; some businesses and reporters of Lang Son Newspaper, Lang Son Radio and Television Station.

Overview of the Workshop

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Ha, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chairman of the provincial scientific research project "Researching, conserving and promoting the of some types of intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark”chaired the workshop

     Lang Son Geopark belongs to the administrative scope of five districts: Bac Son, Binh Gia, Chi Lang, Huu Lung, Van Quan with a total area of ​​3,845.8 km2, population 375,656 people respectively accounting for 46.3% of the area and 48.1% of population in the province. Along with tangible cultural heritages, typical characteristic ​​of geology - geomorphology, space - landscape, biodiversity... basically meeting the criteria as prescribed by UNESCO, Lang Son Geopark also fully converges seven types of intangible cultural heritages including traditional festivals, social practices and beliefs, traditional crafts, folk performing arts, folklore, written language and traditional folk knowledge. Allof them create a Geopark area which is diverse and unified and has its own characteristics and identity in the cultural space of Xu Lang.

     Attending the workshop, the delegates listened to seven presentations by experts, scientists, historical and cultural researchers inside and outside the province to assess the current status of conserving, promotingthe values of some intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark. The presentations were carefully prepared, in-depth, providing information, documents, new ways of seeing and assessing the status of conservingand promoting the values of intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vuong Toan, Chairman of Vietnamese Thai Studies Program at the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Sciences, presented the status of conserving and promoting the value of the Tay-Thai ethnic groups' speech in Lang Son Geopark

Dr. Hoang Van Pao, Standing Vice Chairman of of Science and Technology Associations, Chairman of Cultural Heritage Association, former Director of Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented the actual situation of preserving and promoting the values of traditional crafts and folk knowledge of ethnic groups in Lang Son Geopark

Mr. Hoang Tuan Cu, Program of Vietnamese Thai Studies under the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Sciences, presented the actual situation of conserving and promoting the values of speech, written language and folklore in Lang Son Geopark

     Besides, delegates, experts, scientists, historical and cultural researchers inside and outside the province and artisans actively exchanged, discussed and consulted in the spirit of enthusiasm and frankness, towards the goal of identifying, evaluating and clarifying the status of intangible cultural heritages in generaland each type of intangible cultural heritages in particular to address problems,inadequacies, shortcomings and limitations in the conservation and promotion of some types of intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark.

Artisants performedMo in the ceremony to celebrate the longevity of the Nung people in Lang Son Geopark

Young artisans sangDong Dao – a folk song in Lang Son Geopark

Display space of intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark

Delegates visitedboothsof typical products inLang Son Geopark

     At the same time, the contents discussed at the Workshop serve as a basis for completing the research "Researching, conserving and promotingthe values of some types of intangible cultural heritages in Lang Son Geopark". Thereby it has contributed to effectively implementing the goal of preserving and promoting the values of cultural heritages associated with sustainable economic, social, tourism and service development with the motto "turning heritage a cultural heritage asset", creating livelihoods, solving labor and employment problems, improving the material and spiritual lives of people in Lang Son Geopark, meeting one of UNESCO’s criteria for recognition of a Global Geopark.