Permit granted for excavation of ancient Tran Dynasty temple in Ha Giang.

(PLVN) - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just issued Decision No. 656/QD-BVHTTDL allowing the Ha Giang Provincial Museum to conduct archaeological excavations at the site of the old pagoda (Ba Tu Pagoda) in Bo Cung village, Yen Phu town, Bac Me district, Ha Giang province.

The remains of Ba Tu Pagoda (Bo Cung village, Yen Phu town, Bac Me district, Ha Giang province) were discovered on a turtle-shaped hill on the left bank of the Gam River in late 2023. The archaeological team uncovered many artifacts and architectural materials from the royal palace.

In particular, the archaeological team discovered terracotta tower models, all of which were broken pieces from various other tower models. All of these terracotta tower artifacts bear the technical and stylistic characteristics of the Tran Dynasty, 13th-14th centuries. These are valuable relics, reflecting the unique architectural culture of the Tran Dynasty.

A terracotta pagoda from the Tran Dynasty was unearthed at the site of Ba Tu Pagoda in 2023. Photo: TH

In addition, the archaeological team also discovered a broken bronze bell with holes for threading a string, terracotta tiles - pointed tiles with two protrusions at the ends and lotus-shaped tiles, thin decorative bricks (lemon blossoms, vine flowers) and many other artifacts.

Through the study of artifacts and relics, archaeologists have initially determined that this is an ancient temple dating back to the Tran Dynasty. The temple is quite large in scale and was built with many architectural features of temples from the 13th and 14th centuries, within the mountainous northern territory of the Tran Dynasty.

Pointed roof tiles unearthed at the foundation of Ba Tu Pagoda. Photo: TH

The temple holds significant value during the Đại Việt cultural period. Particularly given its geopolitical location, the presence of this temple was highly significant in establishing Đại Việt's cultural identity in the border region, affirming a sense of cultural sovereignty dating back thousands of years.

Based on that, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 656/QD-BVHTTDL allowing the Ha Giang Provincial Museum to conduct archaeological excavations at the site of the old pagoda (Ba Tu Pagoda) in Bo Cung village (Yen Phu town, Bac Me district, Ha Giang province). The excavation will take place from April 1st to May 15th, covering an area of ​​80m2.

According to the Decision, during the excavation period, the Ha Giang Provincial Museum must pay attention to protecting the stratigraphy of the site; it is responsible for disseminating information to the people about protecting local cultural heritage, and it must not publish official conclusions without the agreement of the managing agency and the Department of Cultural Heritage.

The artifacts collected during the excavation process are the responsibility of the Ha Giang Provincial Museum and the provincial cultural department to preserve and protect from damage or loss.

Before announcing the results of the excavation, the licensed agency consulted and reached an agreement with the Department of Cultural Heritage.

Ke Nguyen