An Giang is determined to bring the Oc Eo - Ba The historical site to the world.

The process of preparing the nomination dossier for the Oc Eo - Ba The Archaeological Site to be submitted to UNESCO for World Heritage status is entering a crucial final stage.

Báo An Giang•03/12/2025

The Gò Cây Thị relic site at the Óc Eo - Ba Thê historical site. Photo: PHƯƠNG LAN

By the end of October 2025, An Giang province will have completed submitting the draft nomination dossier for the Oc Eo - Ba The Archaeological Site to the UNESCO World Heritage Center for preliminary feedback. In the next phase of the fourth quarter of 2025, the province is determined to finalize the official nomination dossier before December 15, 2025. The main focus will be on revising and incorporating feedback from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, other central ministries and agencies, the National Council for Cultural Heritage, and preparing to receive preliminary assessment feedback from the UNESCO World Heritage Center.

To ensure the integrity of the heritage, the Oc Eo Cultural Relics Management Board proposes transferring the Giong Xoai and Nen Chua relics to the direct management of the Oc Eo Cultural Relics Management Board. Simultaneously, it requests permission to adjust the protected area boundaries, develop a land clearance project at Giong Xoai, and allocate additional funds for the restoration and renovation of the Oc Eo Cultural Exhibition House, in preparation for the UNESCO delegation's inspection in 2026.

Concluding the meeting on November 7, 2025, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Phuoc emphasized that the preparation of the nomination dossier is a crucial political task. The Oc Eo Cultural Relic Management Board should strengthen coordination with relevant units to implement the project with the spirit of "6 clear points" (clear person, clear task, clear time, clear responsibility, clear product, clear authority) in developing detailed daily and weekly progress plans. In addition, the contractor for package number 3 needs to be urged to promptly complete the official nomination dossier before December 15, 2025, in order to submit it to the Prime Minister and relevant ministries and central agencies for consideration and approval before sending it to the World Heritage Center.

The provincial leaders unanimously agreed to assign the management of the two historical sites, Giồng Xoài and Nền Chùa (Mỹ Thuận commune), to the Óc Eo Cultural Relics Management Board to ensure uniformity in heritage management and the preparation of nomination dossiers. At the same time, they approved the Management Board's adjustment of the protected areas for the Óc Eo - Ba Thê, Nền Chùa, and Giồng Xoài sites as a basis for advising on the land acquisition and clearance project at Giồng Xoài and investing in some landscape improvement projects.

According to Dr. Truong Dac Chien of the National Museum of History, adjusting the protected zone of the Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site is an urgent action to meet UNESCO's requirements. Dr. Chien proposed a new zoning plan focusing on three core areas and the Nen Chua area, with the idea of consolidating these areas into a common buffer zone encompassing the entire Ba The mountain area and the Oc Eo plain to ensure integrity.

Besides technical work, public awareness campaigns and building social consensus are also crucial issues that need to be prioritized in the current phase. According to the plan, around June or July 2026, a delegation of UNESCO experts will conduct field surveys and assess the dossiers at the heritage sites. Experts may interview any local residents, students, or officials to evaluate the level of understanding and community consensus regarding the Oc Eo heritage. Ly Ngoc Dinh, Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, emphasized the need to develop a comprehensive and continuous communication plan across multiple channels, from newspapers to school education , ensuring consistent information on the responsibility for preservation and the practical benefits of the heritage.

Completing the dossier for the Oc Eo - Ba The Special National Monument is a strategic task, opening up great potential for the development of tourism in An Giang and for international research.

The Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site covers an area of over 433 hectares, comprising Area A (Ba The Mountain) and Area B (Oc Eo plain), and is being further expanded as required by the World Heritage Council, in accordance with document No. 169, dated November 14, 2025, of the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee. This site is confirmed to be the ancient urban center of the Funan Kingdom from the 2nd to 7th centuries AD, forming the core of the Oc Eo culture.

Today.

PHUONG LAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-quyet-tam-dua-di-tich-oc-eo-ba-the-ra-the-gioi-a469081.html