Quang Ninh province will submit a profile of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong to UNESCO for recognition as a Great Man of Culture.

Two other documents on the Tran Dynasty relics in Dong Trieu district and Yen Tu Mountain in Uong Bi district, will also be sent to UNESCO to be considered for World Cultural Heritage Site status.

This was decided at a working session between the provincial People’s Committee and the Vietnam National University on August 18.

Participants said that Quang Ninh should find feasible solutions to preserve its natural values and bio-diversity and launch a communication campaign to raise public awareness of these two beautiful natural areas.

It was also suggested that a profile on the Truc Lam School of Zen (the Bamboo Forest School) ideology should be compiled instead of the one for the King-Monk in order to seek World Intangible Cultural Heritage status.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third Tran dynasty king, ascended the throne when he was just 21 and became famous for defeating the Mongol invaders twice during his 15-year reign.

He abdicated his throne at the age of 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain practising and teaching Buddhism, and founding the Truc Lam School of Zen.

During that time, the King-Monk worked to unify the different sects of Vietnamese Buddhism into Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

Source: VOV News