Artifacts "confined" at Hoa Chau ancient citadel

The Hoa Chau citadel archaeological site is currently located in Thanh Trung residential group, Hoa Chau ward, Hue city.

According to researcher Nguyen Xuan Hoa, former Director of the Department of Culture and Information of the former Thua Thien Hue province, this site has been explored and excavated many times.

Experts have basically determined the scale, location, structure, age, owner and role as well as outlined the inner and outer rings of the citadel.

However, up to now, Hoa Chau citadel has not been recognized as a relic, so management and protection work faces many difficulties.

According to our observations, at the archaeological site, there is the ancient Thanh Trung pagoda, which has been ranked as a provincial relic since 2007. Information shows that this pagoda was built in 1745, in the ancient citadel area of Hoa Chau.

The temple currently preserves traditional cultural values of local residents and many vestiges related to the ancient citadel, especially the statue of the Cham god Vishnu.

In addition, in 2003, the local government built the Hoa Chau Citadel Exhibition House, with a total area of over 1,000 square meters, near the archaeological site. Inside this exhibition house are more than 900 artifacts, including ancient people's daily necessities and stone sculptures according to Cham Pa beliefs.

A local resident said that Thanh Trung Pagoda used to be inhabited and cared for, but people left the site a few years ago. Meanwhile, the exhibition hall is rarely open. The artifacts are almost “confined” inside; only 4 stone artifacts are displayed in the yard, exposed to the sun and rain.

Speaking with Dan Tri reporter, a representative of the Department of Culture and Society of Hoa Chau ward said that previously, the Hoa Chau Citadel Exhibition House was managed by the Center for Culture, Information and Sports of Quang Dien district (old).

To date, the handover of this project between the old management unit and Hoa Chau ward has not been completed. After receiving it, Hoa Chau ward plans to hand it over to the ward's Public Service Center to manage and promote its value.

Previously, at a conference on Champa culture in Thua Thien Hue, Dr. Nguyen Van Quang, Deputy Head of the History Department, University of Science, Hue University, said that the vestiges of Hoa Chau citadel are located in the area of 3 villages Thanh Trung, Kim Doi and Thuy Dien, belonging to Quang Thanh commune, old Quang Dien district (now Hoa Chau ward), of which the majority of the area is located in Thanh Trung village.

This ancient citadel has a history of continuous existence and development from about the 9th century to the 18th century, with many different roles, from military, administrative to economic.

The results of excavations of Hoa Chau citadel have discovered many relics and artifacts from the prehistoric to historical periods, not only Champa culture but also Dai Viet, Tran, Ho, Le, Nguyen dynasties.

Therefore, the author believes that this is a typical Champa - Dai Viet citadel in the Central region, containing many cultural, historical and economic values. However, the citadel is facing many risks of destruction and encroachment, and the preservation and promotion of its value are still limited.

According to researcher Nguyen Xuan Hoa, not only Hoa Chau citadel, most of the Cham Pa cultural heritage in Hue is no longer intact. After a long period of existence, affected by war, harsh natural disasters and human indifference, some relics and artifacts have been destroyed or are only ruins.

It is time to look back at the true values of this heritage to have effective plans to promote, preserve and develop it.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/hien-vat-bi-giam-long-tai-thanh-co-hoa-chau-20250806161055849.htm