A close-up view of the thousand-year-old Cham Tower after it was submerged in water.

HUE - The thousand-year-old Phu Dien Cham Tower has been flooded for several days, and authorities are seeking solutions to prevent this from recurring in the future.

The Phu Dien Cham Tower relic (Phu Vinh commune, Hue City ) is one of the earliest surviving Cham Pa brick structures in Central Vietnam, dating back to around the 8th century.

However, this thousand-year-old structure was flooded during the heavy rains that lasted from the end of October to the beginning of November.

According to the Hue City History Museum, the structure is located 5–7 meters below the beach sand, lower than sea level, so when heavy rains and floods occur, the entire foundation is submerged by nearly 1 meter for several days.

Facing the risk of prolonged moisture damage to the ancient brick structure, the Hue City People's Committee and the Department of Culture and Sports directed the Historical Museum to coordinate with the Phu Vinh Commune People's Committee to deploy several high-capacity pumps to remove water from the tower area.

Reporters from Lao Dong newspaper observed that the water inside the historical site had been completely drained several days prior.

However, after being submerged in water for many days, the base of the tower became covered in green moss and looked damp.

Discovered in 2001 in Phu Dien commune (now Phu Vinh commune), the Phu Dien Cham Tower is one of the ancient Cham Pa relics found beneath the coastal sand dunes. With significant historical, archaeological, and cultural value, the Phu Dien Tower has been recognized as a National Architectural and Artistic Monument.

The tower has a rectangular shape, measuring 8.22m long and 7.12m wide. The main entrance of the tower faces east.

Phu Dien Tower is being preserved in a glasshouse to minimize the impact of the natural environment.

But the recent prolonged flooding has raised concerns about the safety of the historical site.

Speaking to a reporter from Lao Dong newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Duc Loc, Director of the Hue City History Museum, said that this is the first time the site has been flooded like this since the tower was excavated. The museum is currently coordinating with relevant agencies to develop a long-term flood prevention plan.

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/photo/can-canh-thap-cham-nghin-nam-tuoi-sau-thoi-gian-bi-ngap-trong-nuoc-1621326.ldo