Moving related relics is necessary
The Gia Binh International Airport Project and related projects, including the Gia Binh Airport connecting route project, are identified as special projects.
The goal of synchronously completing Gia Binh International Airport and the connecting route, promptly serving the APEC 2027 Summit, is a top priority political task.
Resolution No. 256/2025/QH15 on investment policy for the Gia Binh International Airport Construction Investment Project, was approved by the 15th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on December 11, 2025, at the 10th Session.
To ensure the requirements of project implementation, in Article 2 of Resolution 256, the National Assembly unanimously agreed to allow "The People's Committee of Bac Ninh province is allowed to relocate historical and cultural relics (levels) during the implementation of compensation, support, resettlement and project investment. The relocation is carried out on the basis of a plan decided by the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province, ensuring maximum preservation and promotion of the value of relics, ensuring publicity, transparency, and consulting people's opinions. In the process of implementation, if problems arise, the Government guides implementation".
Implementing Resolution No. 256/2025/QH15, the Government has issued Resolution No. 71/NQ-CP dated March 31, 2026, in which, assigning "Ministers of: Public Security, Construction, Finance, Agriculture and Environment, Chairmen of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province and heads of competent agencies to proactively base on specific mechanisms and policies for projects at Gia Binh International Airport specified in Resolution No. 03/2025/NQ-CP dated August 14, 2025 of the Government on specific mechanisms and policies for investment and construction of Gia Binh International Airport and legal regulations to organize the implementation of the Gia Binh International Airport investment and construction project and related projects and works within the scope of regulation of Resolution No. 03/2025/NQ-CP, ensuring progress, efficiency, and quality of works and projects".
The Resolution assigns the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to "Guid and coordinate with the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province in determining the plan to relocate historical and cultural relics (levels) in the process of implementing compensation, support, resettlement and project investment, ensuring compliance with principles and conservation science according to the provisions of law".
On August 13, 2026, the Government Office issued Official Dispatch No. 8115/VPCP- on completing the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on specific mechanisms and policies applicable to relic relocation within the scope of the Gia Binh Airport - Hanoi Capital connecting road project, section through Bac Ninh province.
The development of mechanisms and policies applied to the relocation of related relics is necessary, in order to immediately solve urgent problems, obstacles, and inadequacies arising from practice according to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 26 of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents in 2025 is a suitable solution.
On the local side, Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee has submitted proposals for specific mechanisms and policies applied to relocation of relics within the scope of the Gia Binh International Airport connecting route project with Hanoi Capital (section through Bac Ninh province) and the People's Police Air Regiment Barracks construction project, proposing to allow the application of specific mechanisms and policies for relocation of relics.
Relic relocation plan of Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee
For Dong Coi Pagoda (Thuan Thanh ward, ranked as a provincial-level relic), Bac Ninh province proposes to return the relic to its location in Nghe Nhat area (with an area of 3,084m2), adjacent to the existing residential area; Plan and method of relocation to the new location: Repair (restore) the Dai Dinh and Hau Cung towers at the new location with load-bearing frames made of ironwood materials; dismantle and relocate the current stone gate of the communal house, reinstall it at the new location; renovate (rebuild) the items: Tiền tế, Tả vu, Hữu vu, bia house, kitchen, toilet, yard, fence, technical infrastructure... ; documents and artifacts: Preserve, relocate, install, and arrange the original state of the system of documents and artifacts belonging to the relic after completing the relocation of the Dai Dinh and Hau Cung towers to the new location.
For Tam Son communal house (belonging to Luong Tai commune, classified as a provincial-level relic), Bac Ninh province proposes to supplement the area of communal well and communal pond to have a basis for calculation, when returning the communal land area at the new location (the total land area currently including communal land, communal well and communal pond is about 3,000m2).
The proposed relocation plan for the relic is: Moving to a new location; repairing (restoring) the Dai Dinh tower based on moving the original state of the Dai Bai and Hau Cung items to the newly rebuilt location, combined with repairing and replacing damaged wooden components; renovating (building new) items: Ta Vu, Huu Vu, communal gate, communal well, communal pond, kitchen, toilet, yard, fence, technical infrastructure, village tutelary god's tomb (if any)...; for documents and artifacts: Preserving, moving, installing, and arranging the original state of the system of documents and artifacts belonging to the relic after completing the relocation of the Dai Dinh tower and Hau Cung to a new location; after dismantling the Dai Bai and Hau Cung tower to move to a new location, it is proposed to allow urgent excavation of the entire area of the village communal house to find traces of the village tutelary god's tomb (according to the Divine Relic, the communal house was built on the
According to the explanation of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province, the proposal to relocate historical and cultural relics such as Dong Coi communal house (Thuan Thanh ward) and Tam Son communal house (Luong Tai commune) is a plan when no other measures can be implemented.
However, the legal system on cultural heritage of Vietnam only stipulates measures to manage, protect and promote the value of relics, and does not stipulate the issue of relocation of relics.
In practice, in precedent, related to relic relocation, Resolution No. 256/2025/QH15 dated December 11, 2025 of the Association on investment policy for the Gia Binh International Airport Construction Project has allowed the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province to be allowed to relocate historical and cultural relics (levels) in the process of implementing compensation, support, resettlement and project investment. The relocation is carried out on the basis of a plan decided by the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province, ensuring maximum preservation and promotion of the value of relics, ensuring publicity, transparency, and consulting people's opinions. In the process of implementation, if problems arise, the Government guides implementation.
On the morning of August 24, 2026, at the First Extraordinary Session of the 16th National Assembly, presenting the Report on receiving, explaining and revising the draft Resolution on the relocation of 2 historical and cultural relics in Bac Ninh to build a road connecting Gia Binh airport with Hanoi, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh said: Regarding the opinion requesting to clearly define the scope of only 2 relics, Dong Coi and Tam Son communal houses, within the scope of the project of the Gia Binh International Airport connecting route with Hanoi Capital; not to use guidance mechanisms to expand more subjects, the Government has reviewed and regulated the draft Resolution in the direction of only applying Article 2 of Resolution No. 256/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly to 2 relics, including Dong Coi communal house (Thuan Thanh ward, Bac Ninh) and Tam Son communal house (Luong Tai commune, Bac Ninh).
For Tan Tran Temple (Lam Thao commune, Bac Ninh province), the Government will carefully review the current situation and issues related to the provisions of law on beliefs and religions and absorb the opinions of the National Assembly Standing Committee that have not been included in this draft Resolution.
Also according to Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, the Government will direct relevant agencies to ensure feasibility, efficiency, and maximize the originality, integrity and constituent elements of the relic's value;
Do not erode, distort or lose the inherent identity, cultural, historical, architectural, and religious characteristics of each relic, and at the same time pay full attention to the cultural, religious, and livelihood factors of the relevant community; ensure the participation and consensus of the people in the implementation process.
The International Convention on the Protection of Cultural Heritage of which Vietnam is a member (the 1972 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage) does not stipulate the issue of relocation of relics. Article 4 of the Convention stipulates: "Each member state of this Convention takes responsibility for ensuring the identification, protection, conservation, introduction and transmission to future generations of cultural and natural heritage... located on its territory". Therefore, the development and promulgation of this policy does not affect the implementation of the commitment of the member state participating in the 1972 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Article 7 of the Charter of Venice stipulates: "A relic is inseparable from the history it is a witness to, inseparable from the scenery it is located in. Therefore, the relocation of the entire or part of the relic is not allowed, unless it is due to the requirement of protecting that relic or for authentic reasons for national or international interests that are extremely important".
The identification of Gia Binh International Airport Project and related projects as special and extremely important projects, as one of the infrastructure works selected to serve the APEC 2027 Summit. Therefore, the relocation of relics within the project scope is also in accordance with the spirit stated in Article 7 of the Venice Charter.
