“Key landmarks and attractions in Binh Duong”: A book contains many historical and cultural values

In an effort to preserve and disseminate valuable information to the public, Binh Duong provincial Association of Historical Science recently introduced a book of “Key landmarks and attractions in Binh Duong”. The book is not only the result of nearly three years of dedicated research, compilation by the editorial team, but also a work of profound significance to the land and people of Binh Duong.

Preserving and promoting historical and cultural values

The “Key landmarks and attractions in Binh Duong” book was edited by Dr. Huynh Ngoc Dang, Chairman of provincial Association of Historical Science and published by the People's Public Security Publishing House. The book is the outcome of provincial-level scientific project on “Researching key landmarks and attractions in Binh Duong province”, carried out by the association over nearly three years.

The publication and public introduction of the book not only marks the successful “harvest” of the authors' research efforts, but also contributes significantly to the preservation and promotion of the historical and cultural values of each locality and the province as a whole. This is especially meaningful “in the context of merging provinces and cities to create development space and elevate the nation, many attractions may disappear..., leaving us with a deep sense of nostalgia for familiar lands” as Dr. Huynh Ngoc Dang expressed at the book launch.

According to Dr. Huynh Ngoc Dang, each attraction carries behind it historical stories and hidden values, waiting to be further studied and explored by future generations. The authors have made great efforts to preserve these for everyone, especially for future generations as a way to safeguard community memories and contribute to the preservation of the local cultural identity.

Among many books and documents written about the land and people of Binh Duong, this is likely the most extensive one to date. The book spans over 2,280 pages, featuring 3,448 entries and 4,163 subcategories of attractions, all organized according to commune-level administrative units across the province’s nine districts, towns and cities.

According to the research, attractions are classified under etymology (linguistic origin), including categories such as purely Vietnamese, Sino-Vietnamese, hybrid forms, names of ethnic minority origin and foreign language origins. They are also categorized by type such as regional names, topographical names, names of constructed landmarks and administrative names. This serves as a valuable source of information, offering rich insights into the origins and meanings of these attractions, thereby vividly reconstructing the history of formation and development of the Binh Duong region.

A valuable reference

To compile over 4,000 subcategories of attractions for the public, the researchers not only simply recorded existing data, but also applied theoretical frameworks to discover new interpretations and even challenge the old ones. As the chief editor explained, readers will find both familiar folk explanations and newly proposed insights in the book.

Containing a wealth of valuable information, the book is regarded as a historical and cultural map expressed through language. It vividly reflects the formation process of Binh Duong’s land, its people and communities, the periods of struggle and development. At the same time, the book clearly presents the province’s distinctive features in terms of terrain, climate, economy as well as its diverse flora and fauna.

Dr. Huynh Ngoc Dang emphasized that in the context of merging provinces and cities to create development opportunities and helping the country to rise, many attractions a risk fading away, leaving us with much regret over names of regions once so familiar. This book is an effort to preserve community memories, contributing to maintaining local cultural identity; it serves as a valuable reference for management, research and education. In particular, attractions in the book are also precious resources to assist authorities in scientifically, harmoniously, objectively and respectfully naming new administrative units, ensuring continuity and inheritance of the local history and culture.

Highly appreciating the practical value of the book, Dr. Nguyen Hoang Thao, former Permanent Vice Secretary of provincial Party Committee stated that the “Key landmarks and attractions” book is a reliable source of information for localities to refer to when naming hamlets, quarters and residential groups, instead of using dry numerical codes. Using attractions associated with local history and culture will help preserve traditional identities right from the grassroots level.

For readers, the book of “Key landmarks and attractions in Binh Duong” serves as a valuable reference source, especially for future generations. To preserve and widely disseminate this precious resource for more people to read, research and explore, provincial Association of Historical Science has donated copies of the book to provincial Library, Museum and Departments of Culture, Science and Information of the districts and cities within the province, many organizations and individuals. In the coming time, the association will further donate the book to localities once the new administrative units have been fully reorganized and become operational, allowing residents in need to access this valuable resource.

Reported by Hong Thuan-Translated by Kim Tin