Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism allows second archaeological excavation at Citadel relic

VHO - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong signed Official Dispatch No. 1632/QD-BVHTTDL on allowing the second archaeological excavation at the Thanh Nha Bau relic, An Khang commune, Tuyen Quang city, Tuyen Quang province.

Accordingly, the Decision allows Tuyen Quang Provincial Museum to coordinate with the Institute of Archaeology to conduct the second archaeological excavation at the Thanh Nha Bau relic, An Khang commune, Tuyen Quang city, Tuyen Quang province from June 9, 2025 to July 15, 2025 on an area of ^​​48m2 , including 3 pits.

Archaeological excavations are conducted under the direction of the Institute of Archaeology.

A corner of the Citadel of Bau

According to the Decision, during archaeological excavations, licensed agencies must pay attention to protecting the stratigraphy of the relic; are responsible for disseminating information to the People about the protection of local cultural heritage, and not announce official conclusions without the agreement of the competent authority and the Department of Cultural Heritage.

The artifacts collected during archaeological excavations, Tuyen Quang Provincial Museum and Tuyen Quang Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism are responsible for preserving and protecting the artifacts to avoid damage or loss and reporting to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism on plans to protect and promote the value of those artifacts.

After the completion of the archaeological excavation, the Tuyen Quang Provincial Museum and the Institute of Archaeology must have a preliminary report and propose a plan for management and protection of the excavated area within 1 month at the latest and a scientific report within 1 year at the latest, sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Before announcing the results of the archaeological excavation, the licensed agencies must discuss and reach an agreement with the Department of Cultural Heritage.

Previously, the Institute of Archaeology (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) sent document No. 191/KCH to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Cultural Heritage requesting permission to conduct archaeological excavations at the Bau citadel relic (Tuyen Quang) for the second time.

The objective of the excavation is to search for and identify traces of the citadel wall and related architectural works, thereby seeing the distribution range of the relic, the scale of the citadel wall, and the location of the architectural works. The excavation results will contribute to providing data for the study of the process of formation of the relic, the structural characteristics, and the types of materials used in the construction of the citadel and architecture.

The excavation results also provide documents for research on the heritage value, historical and cultural value of An Khang (Tuyen Quang) in particular and Tuyen Quang province in general. On a broader scale, the excavation and research results also provide documents for studying the history of Vietnamese citadels, the history of Vietnamese architecture as well as the handicrafts in history.

Thanh Nha Bau is a military defense structure built by two Vu brothers, Khanh Ba Hau Gia Quoc Cong Vu Van Uyen and An Tay Vuong Gia Quoc Cong Vu Van Mat, who were appointed by King Le as the General of Tuyen Quang, in the 16th century, on the area of ​​Bong Thuong and Bong Ha hills (in Tan Thanh village, An Khang commune, Tuyen Quang city).

The citadel wall has cannon platforms, using bullets made of stone facing the Lo River, guarding the waterway from the North. Outside the citadel, there is the Lo River as an outer moat to prevent enemies from afar...

The Citadel of Bau is a historical site of great significance for the study of national history and the education of patriotism for the younger generation; it provides many reliable historical documents for the study of military history, the art of war, construction, and architecture of citadels; and it is also an attractive tourist destination, attracting visitors to Tuyen Quang. In 2014, the Citadel of Bau was ranked as a national monument.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/bo-vhttdl-cho-phep-khai-quat-khao-co-lan-thu-2-tai-di-tich-thanh-nha-bau-139930.html