BẮC NINH — Various aspects of culture and art under the Lý Dynasty (1009-1225) and the importance of preserving its vestiges were discussed at two-day international conference last week.

The conference, held in the northern province of Bắc Ninh, the heart of the dynasty, attracted about forty Vietnamese and international scholars, scientists and archaeologists.

It was jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Việt Nam Institute of Culture, Arts Studies, and University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

“The Lý Dynasty, lasting for more than 200 years, is an important period in Việt Nam history and the topic of culture and arts under this dynasty has received great attention and interest of both Vietnamese and international scholars from different perspectives,” said deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyễn Thị Bích Liên.

The two-day conference was a forum for scholars to discuss the development of culture and art under the Lý Dynasty, and also share experiences in preserving historical relics.

Scholars have compared art under the Lý Dynasty with that of contemporaries in China, Japan and the Champa Kingdom, Liên noted.

Vice Chairman of Bắc Ninh People’s Committee, Nguyễn Văn Phong, said the province was proud to be the hometown of the Lý Dynasty, which had helped preserve and develop Việt Nam’s culture, art and religion, and ensured a peaceful life for its people.

Bắc Ninh has 131 relics related to Lý Dynasty, many of them Buddhism pagodas and towers.

Over the last several years, Bắc Ninh has implemented practical policies and mechanisms to preserve and tap the value of these relics, Phong said.

The conference is among a series of events being held to celebrate the 185^th anniversary of establishment and 20^th anniversary of re-establishment of Bắc Ninh.

Phong said the active contributions of scholars at the conference, including papers presented, would contribute to the further studies on the Lý Dynasty’s culture and arts, and orient preservation work on the relics.

The conference covered four main topics: approaches to Lý Dynasty culture and art studies; new discoveries and studies on arts, culture and architecture of Lý Dynasty in Bắc Ninh; art in the context of Buddhism under the Lý Dynasty; and the preservation of historic and cultural relics in the province.

Bắc Ninh is a province that neighbours Hà Nội. Its Đình Bảng Village is known as hometown of dynasty founder King Lý Thái Tổ.

The province is also well-known for many Buddhist pagodas as Buddhism prospered under the dynasty. The Phật Tích Pagoda, Dạm Pagoda and Đô Temple are some of the prominent ones. — VNS