Strengthening the protection and promotion of the value of the national treasure Avalokitesvara Statue of Bac Binh

The Provincial People's Committee has just issued a plan for the management, protection, and promotion of the value of the national treasure, the Avalokitesvara statue of Bac Binh. This is a national treasure recognized by the Prime Minister (13th batch) in 2024 and is currently preserved at the Provincial Museum.

Accordingly, the People's Committee requested the development of a plan to protect and ensure the security and safety of the national treasure, the Avalokitesvara statue in Bac Binh. Regular preservation work should be carried out according to regulations, and any issues affecting or negatively impacting the national treasure should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism provides professional guidance related to the management, protection, and promotion of the value of national treasures in the province. Simultaneously, it organizes the announcement ceremony of the Prime Minister's Decision on the recognition of national treasures (batch 13), coinciding with the Katê Festival in 2025 at the Pô Sah Inư tower relic site. It also reviews and proposes the procurement of necessary equipment and the repair and upgrading of the storage facilities and exhibition halls of the Provincial Museum to ensure the conditions for safe and effective preservation, conservation, and promotion of cultural heritage and national treasures in accordance with regulations.

Furthermore, relevant units need to strengthen propaganda and raise awareness among officials, Party members, and the people about the value and importance of national treasures. They should coordinate with local authorities and relevant agencies to diversify activities promoting and introducing the province's cultural heritage and national treasures by integrating them into on-site exhibitions and organizing mobile exhibitions in localities and schools. Support should also be provided to the Provincial Museum to ensure the safety of artifacts and national treasures stored and displayed at the Provincial Museum, as well as during mobile exhibitions in localities throughout the province.

The Avalokitesvara statue from Bac Binh is a Cham cultural artifact, crafted from fine-grained sandstone (small-grained granite) in a dark gray color. It is 61cm tall, weighs 13kg, and dates back to the 8th-9th centuries. The statue was accidentally discovered by locals while farming in Thanh Kiet village, Phan Thanh commune, Bac Binh district, before 1945. In 1996, the Avalokitesvara statue was buried in a garden. In 2001, while digging the foundation for a gate pillar, a local resident rediscovered the statue and handed it over to the Binh Thuan Provincial Museum.

The Avalokitesvara statue in Bac Binh is representative of the sculptural and religious architecture of the southern part (Kauthara region) within the Champa cultural space. It is the product of the convergence of external and internal elements, from stone carving techniques and sculptural art to religious philosophy, creating a product that both fulfills the needs of worship and possesses high artistic value. It brings solemnity to a balanced overall composition without losing the soft and lively lines that are one of the outstanding characteristics of Champa sculptural art.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/binh-thuan-tang-cuong-bao-ve-va-phat-huy-gia-tri-bao-vat-quoc-gia-tuong-avalokitesvara-bac-binh-20250313153337639.htm