A national treasure in Binh Thuan is a rare and highly prized Champa linga made of pure gold.

The Cham people are an ethnic minority community that has lived in Binh Thuan for a very long time. Throughout history, they have created many tangible and intangible cultural values ​​with their own unique and distinctive identity, contributing to the richness and diversity of Binh Thuan's culture and the country as a whole.

Recently, the recognition of the golden Linga as a National Treasure has further enriched the collection of Cham cultural heritage in Binh Thuan.

In 2013-2014, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan province, in coordination with the Southern Vietnam Institute of Social Sciences , organized archaeological excavations at the Po Dam Cham temple complex, located in Lac Tri village, Phu Lac commune, Tuy Phong district.

Notably, this site has yielded a golden Linga and many other valuable artifacts such as a yoni pedestal, a grinding table; musical instruments such as bells, cymbals, rattles, muta rings, bronze mirrors, axes, spears, along with a large quantity of roof tiles and many broken ceramic relics from various utensils (vases, jars, bowls, cups, plates, pots...).

These artifacts further affirm the historical, cultural, religious, and phallic worship values ​​of the Cham people at the Po Dam tower site.

The golden Linga, dating back to the 8th-9th centuries, is a unique, rare, and original artifact with a distinctive form and significant historical, cultural, and aesthetic value.

The Linga, a symbol of the fertility and abundance of all things, is a very special piece of craftsmanship, weighing 78.36 grams, with 90.4% gold and the remaining 9.6% being silver and copper.

A collection of Cham cultural heritage artifacts in Binh Thuan.

The Golden Linga was reviewed and assessed by the National Council for Cultural Heritage and submitted to the Prime Minister for recognition as a national treasure. On January 18, 2024, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 73/QD-TTg recognizing national treasures in the 12th batch - 2023. Among the 29 national treasures recognized in this batch, the Golden Linga of Binh Thuan province was included.

According to Venerable Thường Xuân Hữu, Chairman of the Council of Brahmanical Dignitaries in Bình Thuận province, the recognition of the golden Linga as a national treasure is of great significance, not only instilling national pride and encouraging the people, but also educating future generations of Cham people to cherish the traditional values ​​of their nation.

According to antique collector Nguyen Ngoc An, the golden Linga holds profound and special significance for the Cham people. Not only is it unique in its craftsmanship and one-of-a-kind nature, but the location where the golden Linga was discovered is also very special. Typically, Cham towers are located facing east, but the Po Dam tower is situated facing south; Cham tower relics are usually found on mountains, while Po Dam is located at the foot of a mountain.

Most notably, the golden Linga was discovered to date back to the 8th-9th centuries, a glorious period of Cham culture where gold accounted for over 90% pure gold. This is the world's first golden Linga, created 1,200 years ago by skilled artisans.

According to Mr. Bui The Nhan, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan province, the golden Linga artifact, discovered within the geological strata during archaeological excavations, contains important scientific information and is of great value to research and understanding of cultural and historical issues related to the Po Dam site in particular and Cham culture in general.

The golden Linga, a national treasure, is an important scientific document not only for archaeology but also holds great value in the study of the history, culture, art, religion, metallurgy, and jewelry making of the Cham people in the past.

Preserving and promoting the value of the Cham people's heritage.

The discovery of the Linga artifact bears the imprint of the history, culture, and life of over 40,000 Cham people living in various localities in Binh Thuan province.

According to Mr. Bui The Nhan, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan province, in order to manage, protect, and promote the value of the national treasure, the Golden Linga, in the coming time, the Department will strengthen propaganda and promotion to raise awareness among officials, Party members, and the people about the value, meaning, and importance of the national treasure. This will enhance responsibility in coordinating the protection, preservation, and promotion of the national treasure. At the same time, the Department will strengthen the management, protection, and promotion of the Golden Linga through exhibitions, displays, and promotion on websites and media to publicize cultural heritage and national treasures, meeting the needs of people and tourists for sightseeing, research, and learning.

The national treasure, a solid gold Linga from Binh Thuan province, dates back to approximately the 8th-9th centuries. It is a unique, rare, and original artifact with a distinctive form and significant historical, cultural, and aesthetic value. Photo: Nguyen Thanh/TTXVN.

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Chi Hoang, a member of the National Council for Cultural Heritage, assessed that Binh Thuan is home to many valuable artifacts, relics, and documents related to the history, culture, and art of the Cham people. The province currently has two valuable tangible heritage sites: the Po Sah Inu tower and the Po Dam tower.

The province also possesses a system of intangible cultural heritage such as the Katê festival, traditional pottery making techniques, etc., along with a cultural system closely associated with the life of the Cham community. This is a very strong advantage for Binh Thuan in preserving, exploiting, and promoting cultural values ​​for tourism development.

Binh Thuan currently has four cultural heritage sites included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Two of these are cultural heritage sites of the Cham people. The preservation and promotion of Cham cultural heritage values ​​has always been a priority for Binh Thuan, enriching and diversifying its culture while also boosting local tourism.

Since 2010, the Cham Culture Exhibition Center of Binh Thuan province has been in operation, surveying and researching Cham culture and the cultures of other related ethnic groups through cultural exchange and interaction over different periods.

To date, this place preserves more than 1,500 artifacts and relics, as well as 5 sets of ancient manuscripts of historical value, clearly reflecting the spiritual and material life of the Cham people, past and present.

In recent times, Binh Thuan has focused on developing tourism tours and routes connecting the Cham Cultural Exhibition Center with historical sites, the Cham Royal Family's Open Warehouse, and Binh Duc pottery village, along with scenic spots, creating new attractions to draw tourists.

Binh Thuan is strengthening the promotion of typical Cham folk art and cultural heritage through the organization of exhibitions, thematic cultural presentations, artifacts associated with historical sites, and performances of music and folk dances to introduce them widely to the public and tourists.

At the same time, the province creates conditions for intellectuals, influential figures, and Cham artisans to focus on researching and developing the language, writing system, and traditional crafts of the Cham people...

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Chi Hoang believes that in the coming time, Binh Thuan needs to continue to promote and highlight its existing values ​​to receive more attention from the community, not only from researchers but also from domestic and international tourists.

To achieve this, Binh Thuan needs solutions to connect heritage sites, focus on exploiting cultural industries, and make culture a driving force and pillar of development…

Source: https://danviet.vn/bao-vat-quoc-gia-o-binh-thuan-la-mot-cai-linga-champa-bang-vang-rong-sang-ruc-hiem-co-kho-tim-20241013173442938.htm