Implementing 2 projects to preserve My Son temple complex

(QNO) – In less than 2 months, 2 consecutive projects to preserve My Son tower groups have been implemented, contributing to gradually reviving the appearance of Champa architectural works after many years of being buried underground.

The My Son L Tower Group will be archaeologically excavated next week. Photo: KHÁNH LINH

On May 6, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision 1263 allowing the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board to coordinate with the Institute of Monuments Conservation, the Institute of Archaeology and the CM Lerici Foundation (Italy) to conduct archaeological excavations of the L tower group in the My Son temple complex (Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen).

According to the plan, the excavation time will last until July 30, 2025, with an excavation area of 150m² (10m x 15m/1 hole) led by Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Quy - Institute of Archaeology. It is expected that the project will officially start next week.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet - Director of My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board affirmed that the implementation of the archaeological excavation project of the L tower group is very important because this is the last few tower groups of My Son that need to be urgently excavated and preserved.

Many structures at My Son temple complex need urgent conservation. Photo: KHÁNH LINH

In particular, the method of preserving the L tower group after excavation proposed by the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board is completely different from previous projects. Specifically, the current state after excavation will be preserved intact using the open-air method to serve visitors.

Tower L is located on a high mound, relatively isolated from the remaining tower groups in the relic site. The current state is almost completely ruined. In 2019, Tower L was excavated archaeologically under the cooperation and training agreement program of the project "Vocational training center for relic restoration and cultural relic conservation in Quang Nam " signed between Milan Polytechnic University (Italy) and Quang Nam Vocational College.

According to the training program, the trainees had a practical course participating in surveying, excavating tower L, practicing mapping relics, surveying geometry... However, due to some factors and the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the project has only now restarted.

Previously, in April 2024, during a working trip to My Son, Mr. Marco Della Seta - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Italy paid great attention to the archaeological ruins, including the L tower group, which Italian experts cooperated with Vietnam to excavate in 2018 - 2019. At that time, Mr. Marco Della Seta pledged that the Italian Government would create all conditions and procedures to support the excavation and restoration project of the L tower group.

The project to preserve the F and E towers in My Son has initially revealed the wall system near tower F1. Photo: KHÁNH LINH

My Son temple complex currently has about 71 relics and ruins distributed in many areas and named after the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, K, H, G, L... Most of the architectural works are no longer intact.

In addition to the upcoming archaeological excavation project of the L tower group, the project to preserve the F and E tower groups in My Son, funded by the Government of India, has also started construction since mid-March 2025 with a number of components including conservation and restoration of group E; conservation and restoration of group F; drainage system and walkways around groups E and F... The project implementation period lasts until 2029, with a total project value of 4.852 million USD from non-refundable aid from the Government of India.

After nearly 2 months of implementation, the project has cleared the site, collected artifacts and broken bricks; and uncovered the surrounding walls of the architectural works belonging to the two tower groups E and F.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet affirmed that, together with the archaeological excavation project of tower group L, the successful implementation of the conservation project of tower groups E and F will help revive the entire My Son relic site. At the same time, it will create a premise to continue to preserve the remaining tower groups in My Son in the coming time.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/trien-khai-2-du-an-bao-ton-khu-den-thap-my-son-3154805.html