Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes

Community Roles and Living Heritage in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Northern Vietnam: The Case of The Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac Heritage Complex

Sustainable conservation of the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Heritage Complex in northern Vietnam hinges on community-centered governance models that integrate co-management, equitable benefit sharing, and visitor carrying-capacity management. This study reveals that while local communities play pivotal roles in preserving living heritage—through ritual practices, festival organization, and intergenerational cultural memory transmission—they face intensified challenges post-recognition, including tourist pressure, commercialization, and fragmented coordination. By employing qualitative document analysis, field observations, secondary tourism data, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders, the research proposes a framework leveraging digital heritage documentation and education to strengthen authenticity, integrity, and social vitality of the site.