The delegates visit the Đền Đô Historical Site in Bắc Ninh Province to mark the conclusion of Malaysian Ambassador to Việt Nam Dato’ Tan Yang Thai’s diplomatic tenure. — Photos courtesy of the Việt Nam Association for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities

BẮC NINH — The Việt Nam–Malaysia Friendship Association, the Việt Nam Association for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities and the Embassy of Malaysia on Thursday organised a visit to cultural landmarks in the northern province of Bắc Ninh to mark the conclusion of Malaysian Ambassador Dato’ Tan Yang Thai’s diplomatic tenure in Việt Nam.

During the visit, delegates visited the Đền Đô Historical Site and Đình Bảng Communal House.

More than a cultural and historical excursion, the event served as a meaningful people-to-people diplomacy activity and a way to express appreciation for the ambassador’s contributions to the friendship between Việt Nam and Malaysia, while introducing Vietnamese heritage to international guests.

The delegation offers incense in tribute to the monarchs who laid the foundations for one of the most prosperous periods in Vietnamese history.

At Đền Đô (Lý Bát Đế Temple), the sacred temple dedicated to the eight emperors of the Lý Dynasty, the delegation offered incense in tribute to the monarchs who laid the foundations for one of the most prosperous periods in Vietnamese history. 

Participants also learned about the rise of the Lý Dynasty, whose more than two-century reign ushered in an era of political stability, flourishing culture and national development.

Particular attention was given to Emperor Lý Thái Tổ’s Royal Edict on the Transfer of the Capital (Chiếu dời đô) in 1010, which relocated the capital from Hoa Lư to Thăng Long (present-day Hà Nội). 

The decision is widely regarded as one of the most significant milestones in the nation's history, paving the way for the success of the Đại Việt kingdom, the ancient precursor to modern-day Việt Nam.

The delegation visited Đình Bảng Communal House, one of Việt Nam’s finest and best-preserved traditional communal houses.

After the temple the delegation visited Đình Bảng Communal House, one of Việt Nam’s finest and best-preserved traditional communal houses. Built more than 300 years ago, it is considered a masterpiece of Vietnamese village architecture, featuring massive ironwood pillars, gracefully curved roofs and intricately carved wooden decorations of exceptional artistic value.

The communal house also holds an important place in the country's modern history. President Hồ Chí Minh visited the site twice, for the Party Central Committee’s Seventh Conference in 1940 and meetings of the Party Standing Committee, where key decisions were made that contributed to the success of the August Revolution in 1945.

Ngô Sách Thực, chairman of the Việt Nam–Malaysia Friendship Association and the Việt Nam Association for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, spoke during the visit.

Thực said the selection of Đền Đô and Đình Bảng Communal House reflected a desire not only to introduce the ambassador to some of Việt Nam’s most representative cultural heritage sites, but also to deepen mutual understanding, friendship and people-to-people ties between Việt Nam and Malaysia through shared appreciation of history and culture.

He expressed his sincere gratitude for the ambassador’s contributions during his tenure in Việt Nam. Beyond fulfilling his diplomatic responsibilities, Thai consistently supported people-to-people exchanges and participated in numerous social welfare, charitable and humanitarian programmes organised by the two associations.

Ngô Sách Thực, chairman of the Việt Nam–Malaysia Friendship Association and the Việt Nam Association for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities (centre), presents Ambassador Dato’ Tan Yang Thai (third from left) with a commemorative photograph.

On the occasion, Thực presented the ambassador with a commemorative photograph of his participation in a 2026 Lunar New Year gift-giving programme for persons with disabilities and disadvantaged people.

Ambassador Thai and members of the Malaysian delegation said it was their first visit to Đền Đô and Đình Bảng Communal House.

They noted that the well-preserved historical heritage site, timeless architecture and the warm hospitality extended by the Việt Nam–Malaysia Friendship Association would remain among their most cherished memories of the ambassador’s diplomatic service in Việt Nam.

The programme also demonstrated the important role of people-to-people diplomacy in connecting cultures, fostering mutual understanding and further deepening the Comprehensive Partnership between Việt Nam and Malaysia for peace, cooperation and sustainable development within the ASEAN Community, the ambassador said. — VNS