Nam Dinh celebrates 750 years

A grand ceremony attended by President Truong Tan Sang was held in the northern city of Nam Dinh yesterday to mark the 750th anniversary of Thien Truong, the old capital of the Tran dynasty (1225-1400).
On the occasion, the city was also honoured for its socio-economic achievements with the presentation of the Ho Chi Minh Order, the second-highest order of the nation, from the State's leader.
The same day, it was also recognised by the Government as a first-class city.
Addressing the ceremony, the provincial Party Committee's secretary Pham Hong Ha recalled the city's 750-year history.
In Spring 1262, after a 37-year reign, King Tran Thai Tong, whose birthplace was Tuc Mac Village (now My Loc District of Nam Dinh), ordered his subjects to build a royal complex and a temple to worship ancestors here, all of which were upgraded into the Thien Truong Palace complex.
The complex acted as a special administrative and political centre south of the kingdom's capital city of Thang Long (Ha Noi).
With its military advantages and prosperous economy, Thien Truong also played a key role in national defence.
Ha said though it had undergone many changes over the centuries, Thien Truong-Nam Dinh remained a cultural and economic centre of the southern Hong (Red) River Delta.
He also reviewed in the socio-economic achievements of the city.
The provincial Gross Domestic Product jumped by 8 times between 1997-2012. Food output reached nearly 1 million tonnes, and the city has shifted its economic structure to focus more on industry and services, which accounted for over 71 per cent in 2011.
Sang lauded the past and current achievements of the city, but also asked for continued efforts in its economic growth.
He expected the province to renew its economic model, giving priority to high-tech and clean industries.
The President also called for more investment to bring Nam Dinh into the hub of the southern Red River Delta, along with pushing its maritime economy.
To uphold its achievements in education and training, the province was urged to lead the region in training high-quality human resources professionals.
On behalf of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh granted the recognition of first-class city to Nam Dinh.
The city's Tran Temple was recognised in the ceremony as an historical and architectural site, while Pho Minh Pagoda was designated a special national relic.
The ceremony was attended by 3,000 local people from all walks of life who took part in a parade depicting the history of the city.
Earlier, Sang and other high-ranking officials gave offerings at the Tran and Bao Loc Temple, where 14 kings and mandarins of Tran Dynasty are worshipped.
At the site, Sang praised Thien Truong as a place that has nurtured outstanding people who contributed much to the nation.