Experts believe the rock mural at Cửa Chùa is a thousand years old. Photo: Dr. Phạm Thanh Sơn
Mr. Tran Xuan Quang, Director of Van Long Ecotourism Service Cooperative, who has been involved in conservation and tourism development in Van Long for nearly three decades, said, "The area with the ancient mural was found at the Cua Chua rock shelter (in Gia Van commune, Ninh Binh province) in 2010."
The mystery of the thousand-year-old painting
Based on survey results from 2010-2012, researchers believe that some of these paintings may be a type of "mural chewing." Many of the paintings have realistic themes with an interweaving of human figures in various poses.
There are paintings depicting people sitting on chairs, some with fierce faces and tall figures trampling on two others, and others showing people holding hands and pushing each other. Researchers have deciphered the two words "bất bình" (injustice) inscribed on the rock face. This seems to be a message from the ancients conveying the meaning of "punishment that causes social injustice" or "injustice against society." Initial assessments suggest that this mural may be related to the Early Lê Dynasty, more than 1,000 years ago.
This is the first system of cave wall and rock overlay drawings made of ochre discovered and studied systematically in the history of Vietnamese art, with a fairly rich variety of designs. If the locality knows how to promote its outstanding global value, Van Long will become a key area for tourism development and aim for World Heritage status.
(Dr. Nguyen Viet)
According to Dr. Pham Thanh Son (Institute of Archaeology), in 2023, the Institute of Archaeology collaborated with several experts from the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, along with mural experts from the Southeast Asian Center for Archaeology and Fine Arts, to conduct surveys and research at the Cua Chua rock shelter.
Here, experts discovered many new drawings, far exceeding the number of drawings found in previous studies. The area of the cliff containing the drawings was determined to be almost parallel to the width of the rock overhang, over 20 meters long, and distributed at different heights relative to the surface of the overhang. The content and themes of the drawings are essentially realistic, with human figures always at the center of the drawings on the cliff.
However, when viewed with the naked eye, the murals appear very blurry, and those at higher elevations are difficult to identify because, over thousands of years, they have been covered by layers of weathered limestone. Therefore, experts have taken thousands of photographs using advanced equipment, then processed them using graphic design software or professional mural processing software to ensure that details can be extracted for image research.
Preliminary analysis of the structure and sculptural techniques reveals that the drawings depict various storylines. Some figures are depicted in a seated position, wearing hats; others holding tridents and swords; and still others wielding a mace combined with a sword…
The drawings depict groups of people without weapons, and the postures of the individuals vary. Some are lying horizontally while being trampled on by someone holding a weapon. Others appear to be being rotated horizontally counterclockwise by a larger person. Besides individual figures, there are also drawings depicting pairs in symmetrical poses.
Meanwhile, also near the center of the rock overhang, an image of a person pounding rice is recorded. Besides the realistic drawing, an inscription in Chinese characters carved into the rock wall is also present. Image analysis shows that the time period in which the inscription and the drawing were created is similar, as there is no overlapping of the strokes, indicating a layered structure with completely identical colors.
Based on the style and type of weapons that appeared in Vietnamese and Chinese history, it can be initially estimated that the murals here date from the late 9th to the early 11th centuries. If the absolute date can be determined, this data will contribute to providing a more comprehensive view of the context, origin, and significance and role of these murals in the course of history.
Van Long is considered the first site in Vietnam with evidence of painted murals, an early art style in Southeast Asia.
It needs to be protected.
Given the cultural and historical value of the murals at Van Long Lagoon, the research team of Dr. Le Hai Dang from the Institute of Archaeology recommends that Ninh Binh province should soon implement stricter measures to protect archaeological sites and scenic spots in the Van Long Lagoon area.
At the same time, it is urgent to implement archaeological research activities such as exploration, surveying, and excavation to clearly determine the age and cultural characteristics of this site. The area of the rock-roof murals at Cua Chua requires unified direction from cultural management agencies, the government, and the local people.
Along with that, remove all the alluvial soil at the base of the cliff, the leveling site from the lime kiln foundation and house foundation, restoring the natural surface of the site. This may also reveal new drawings or new scientific information. Conduct several archaeological exploratory pits at the base of the cliff where the murals are concentrated, erect barriers to prevent direct impact on the rock face, including pouring water to clarify the drawings as this would cause the details to fade.
This not only contributes to the preservation of the site but also promotes a new field of research: the study of painted murals in caves and rock shelters in Vietnam, which are very difficult to discover. This is the first site in Vietnam with evidence of painted murals, an early art style in Southeast Asia.
According to Dr. Nguyen Viet from the Southeast Asian Prehistory Center, this is the first system of cave wall and rock overlay drawings made of ochre discovered and systematically studied in the history of Vietnamese art, with a fairly rich variety of drawings. If the locality knows how to promote its outstanding global value, Van Long will become a key area for tourism development and aim for world heritage status.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/giai-ma-bi-an-bich-hoa-nghin-nam-o-dam-van-long-203041.html
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