The Kơ Đơ gong set is on display at the Pleiku Museum. Photo: Anh Minh
Gia Lai province possesses two groups of artifacts: a collection of gold religious objects from the An Phu Cham tower (dating from the 9th-10th centuries) and a set of Kơ Đơ gongs (dating from the early 20th century). Currently, both treasures are preserved at the Pleiku Museum in Gia Lai province.
The recognition of national treasures is carried out according to Decision No. 236/QD-TTg, which clearly stipulates the responsibilities of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the Chairpersons of the People's Committees at all levels where national treasures are located; the Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and the heads of sectors, organizations, and units directly responsible for managing the national treasures.
Agencies and units are responsible for organizing, managing, protecting, and promoting the value of national treasures in accordance with the law on cultural heritage.
The two groups of artifacts from Gia Lai recognized this time are both assessed to have outstanding and representative historical, cultural, and scientific value, contributing to further clarifying the distinctive cultural and historical landscape of the Central Highlands region.
Among them, the Kơ Đơ gong set is a traditional gong set of the Jrai people, consisting of a total of 8 gongs. This set was collected by the Pleiku Museum in 1997 from the family of Mrs. Rcom Hblon, residing in Broái hamlet, Ia Tul commune, Ayun Pa district (now Ia Tul commune, Gia Lai province). Structurally, the set includes 1 large gong (sa gong), 2 knobbed gongs, and 5 flat gongs.
According to researchers, the Kơ Đơ gong is primarily used in joyful, communal celebrations such as housewarming parties, weddings, and health-seeking ceremonies, and is not used in funeral rites or burial ceremonies.
This is a representative artifact, clearly reflecting the cultural and spiritual life as well as the cultural space of the Central Highlands' gong culture, and is a unique heritage of the ethnic communities in this region.
A Kamandalu vase and an eight-petaled golden flower are placed on a brick in the center of the sacred storage area of the An Phu historical site.
Besides the Kơ Đơ gong set, the collection of gold religious artifacts at the An Phú Cham tower is also a group of artifacts of exceptional value.
This collection includes a vase placed on an eight-petaled lotus pedestal and numerous gold leaves, some of which are engraved with ancient characters. The artifacts were discovered in a sacred pit during excavations at the An Phu Cham tower site, located in residential area 11, An Phu ward, Gia Lai province.
The An Phu Cham tower relic is located about 10 km east of the center of Pleiku city and has been studied and documented by French scholars since the beginning of the 20th century.
Through excavations conducted by the Pleiku Museum in collaboration with the Southern Vietnam Institute of Social Sciences, archaeologists discovered a sacred pit with a swastika-shaped structure, an important clue indicating that this area was once an ancient Buddhist temple. The pit contained numerous offerings and artifacts, including gold objects, precious stones, and small glass beads of various colors.
The recognition of two representative groups of artifacts from Gia Lai as national treasures affirms the exceptional historical, cultural, and scientific value of these artifacts, thereby contributing to enriching the cultural heritage of the province and the country, creating an important basis for continued preservation and promotion of heritage values; serving research, education, and the promotion of Gia Lai's cultural image in the future.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/gia-lai-co-them-2-bao-vat-duoc-cong-nhan-la-di-san-quoc-gia-203116.html
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