Keeping the Epic Written Further Is a Universal Responsibility

Relics will become ruins when they cannot “live” as they should be. They also need "health" that comes from proper care and investment and gets warmed by humanity. It is the morality, the culture and the soul of present and future generations.

From a bare rocky hill wrecked by the war and risked to be a forgotten ruin, Tuc Dup has been today covered with a peaceful green - the color of new vitality and the air of eternal triumph. Tuc Dup is a heroic symbol of An Giang army and people.

Continuing history

 “Before 2016, Tuc Dup Hill was exploited by many travel companies as assigned by the An Giang Provincial People’s Committee but they were not successful as expected. Many relics and war remnants of special significance in the hill area over time were lost and endangered to be ruined. In response to the tourism socialization policy, in late 2016, An Giang Tourism Joint Stock Company was assigned to invest in expanding the historical site of Tuc Dup Hill. Resolved to bring a special national historical vestige to become a famous spiritual and historical tourism site, the company invested a lot of money to restore and upgrade many important items while keeping the status quo of the overall structure of Tuc Dup Hill,” said Mr. Tran Minh Tri, General Director of An Giang Tourism Joint Stock Company in an interview with Vietnam Business Forum. Quoc Hung reports.

Tuc Dup today

How did such restoration affect the historical value and original structure of this famous relic?

This historic hill, the old bloody battlefield, is still intact, from the cave system to artifacts. We fully understand that these are very precious values ​​of Tuc Dup Hill that will be responsibly protected and increased.

In January 2019, the company started restoring and embellishing artifacts in Tuc Dup Hill Historic Site. The inherent sacred value of historical relics was preserved intact. Tourist service areas had new facilities in addition to restored and upgraded items to provide the best service for tourists exploring the historical value and enjoying the unique magnificent beauty of Phung Hoang Son Mountain Range.

So, how did the company comply with the regulations when it carried out this project?

The company had to restore deteriorated items that could not be used any longer, not demolish them for new construction. Previously, when the company took over Tuc Dup Hill, its boundary areas were trespassed by local people and constructions looked very messy and evanescent. Therefore, the company had to negotiate land transfer and embarked on restoration without any change to the status quo.

According to Clause 2, Article 89 of the Law on Construction 2014, “works repaired, restored and installed with internal equipment without changing the load-bearing structure, without changing uses and without causing effects to the environment and their safety” need no construction permits. However, we still complied and supplemented procedures as required.

Pathways are kept unchanged

Only one item was newly built to meet the legitimate aspirations of veterans. Fallen Hero Monument is a perfect spiritual and aspirational work to express the gratitude of the investor to the heroes who laid in the steely fortress forever.

This place is the first stop for all visitors near and far to offer incense to pay tribute to the heroic warriors before entering sightseeing areas. The Monument was licensed for construction by the Department of Construction - An Giang Provincial People's Committee in the “Construction Certificate No. 25/GPXD” in June 2018.

How could visitors enter the relic when they saw unorganized things in chaos and in degradation before their eyes? If we took over the site and took no action to get it repaired, restored and beautified, it was our irresponsibility and insensitivity to the fallen heroes for this majestic land. We came to Tuc Dup with all our sympathy, love and gratitude to our ancestors.

Were there any items transformed from their original structure when they were being restored?

It is just a short time to celebrate the 47th southern liberation and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2022). It’s a half lifetime of man. Are materials usable after nearly 50 years? Are visitors brave enough to step into a vestige severely damaged by time?

We could not be indifferent by doing nothing after taking over it or we could not live off a glorious and heroic past but we had to act immediately but properly. Tuc Dup is a very sacred temple and no elders accepted anyone to spoil it. Especially, it must be very serious with spirituality. We defined clearly that it had to be safe after being opened. Visitor safety is above all.

For example, like revolutionary relics of Rung Sac, Cu Chi Tunnels or other historical sites in our country, all must be embellished to ensure safety for visitors. Just imagine that it has been nearly five decades of time elapsed, it is unsure that all things are in a good place without being reinforced and embellished.

Likewise, how are some very narrow passageways once to be safe havens for our ancestors in wartime? Moreover, can provisionally, disorderly placed logs be still used for the time being? And, the company chose to replace them with iron to make them stronger, suitable for wet, slippery environments and support many visitors at the same time.

Or on some staircases leading into caves where there are many precarious, sharp rock clocks that are very dangerous to visitors, creating rough patches or changing a few steps there will only make visitors safer in mobility, not altering the original state and condition of caves. In the past, bombards and military attacks did not break the cave structure of Tuc Dup Hill. How can we destroy it now?

Policy beneficiaries are granted free entry tickets by the company

With such serious investment, how are the company's entrance tickets priced reasonably?

Entry tickets are divided into two categories:

+ Category 1: The ticket of VND20,000 is applied to visitors visiting the site as per Resolution 42 of the An Giang Provincial People’s Council.

416th Armored Brigade visits Tuc Dup

+ Category 2: The ticket of VND80,000 is applied to visitors using services and facilities invested by the company such as folk games, electric trams, roller coasters, zoos, crocodile farms, flower gardens check-ins and beautiful miniatures.

Visitors are playing folk games

Millions of tourists have come to visit Sacred Hill. They come to experience, sightsee and hear legendary stories about this place. They sympathize and share with the investor who has invested a lot of money to have an airy, fresh and clean Tuc Dup like today.

If they could not move into the caves because of darkness, excessive humidity and narrow passageways, their visit to Tuc Dup would be apparently nonsense. Therefore, clearing the way and ensuring absolute safety are top priorities. Today, Tuc Dup still has original majestic traits - the green color of aspiration and the color of victory.

Carrying gorgeous beauty, Tuc Dup was recognized as the "longest and most beautiful granite cave in Vietnam" by the Vietnam Record Association.

As a business, we must operate effectively to keep the relic alive with time and continue with the mission entrusted by society. More broadly, that responsibility is not only to the company but also to the community as well. Therefore, it is very normal and reasonable to charge entry tickets and service fees.

Tuc Dup is the embodiment of the revolutionary struggle for national liberation and it is receiving significant investment from the company. Maybe in the investment process, we may forget some administrative paperwork because of overfocusing on the fascinating beauty and appeal of Tuc Dup Hill. That is a shortcoming that we are urgently fixing.

Continuing to write a golden chapter in the glorious history of Tuc Dup Hill is a great aspiration, not only for the investor but also for An Giang people who always desire to keep the historical legacy. Therefore, it is necessary to look at it objectively and accurately for proper judgment, otherwise, it will unintentionally offend our heroic spirits.

On this occasion, on behalf of An Giang Tourism Joint Stock Company, I would like to express our deep gratitude to journalists, reporters and press agencies for their continuous care and support. Hopefully, in the future, we will continue to receive more support like that.

Thank you very much. We hope that your company will work better and bring more new values to the community.

By Vietnam Business Forum