Buddhist woodblocks receive UNESCO title

The northern province of Bac Giang on October 6 received a UNESCO certificate recognising a collection of woodblocks at Vinh Nghiem pagoda as part of the world documentary heritage of Asia-Pacific.
The collection of more than 3,000 Buddhist woodblocks was made in the early 14th century by monks at the pagoda, located in Tri Yen commune, Yen Dung district.
The valuable blocks tell the history of woodblock carving in Vietnam and provide insights into the skills of the pagoda's eminent monks.
he collection also provides a wide range of information on the formation, development and ideology of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism, the founder of which was King Tran Nhan Tong in the 11th century.
On this occasion, Bac Giang province also received a certificate recognising relics of an uprising against the French colonialists led by Hoang Hoa Tham in Yen The as a special national historical site.
In addition, the government has issued a decision to recognise 16 communes in Hiep Hoa district as a safe zone. People in the area used to shelter senior officials of the Party during the anti-French resistance war.