The thousand-year-old Cham tower, a unique historical site, is still submerged in water.

According to observations by a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper , the unit managing the Phu Dien Cham Tower relic, located in Phu Vinh commune, Hue city, still maintains a pump to drain water from the relic.

Phu Dien Tower is considered by researchers to be a special case, of great historical and cultural value, and a model for studying early Cham Pa temple and tower architecture. Prolonged flooding could pose a danger and affect the structure's lifespan.

Mr. Nguyen Truong, a security guard at the historical site, said that the massive amount of water that caused severe flooding to the structure more than a week ago has been pumped out. However, seawater continues to leak in, causing continuous flooding, albeit to a lesser extent.

According to Mr. Truong, the Phu Dien Cham Tower had previously experienced flooding during heavy rains, but it would dry up within 2-3 days. This is the first time this situation has lasted so long and continuously.

Mr. Truong was assigned the task of regularly checking the water level and, upon detecting rising water levels, starting the pump to drain the water out approximately every three hours.

As a local resident, Mr. Truong believes that the reason for the continuous flooding of the historical site is due to the extreme and prolonged high tide this time. In addition, the coastline around Phu Dien Tower has suffered severe erosion, making it easier for water to intrude.

As reported by Dan Tri newspaper , due to the impact of the recent heavy rains, the Phu Dien Cham tower relic in Phu Vinh commune has been flooded for an extended period.

Mr. Hoang Hai Minh, Vice Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee, severely criticized the management unit and local authorities for the slow implementation of the remediation plan.

According to the Hue City History Museum, the aforementioned ancient Cham tower was discovered in April 2001. When first discovered, the tower was located 5-7 meters deep under a sand dune, 3-4 meters below sea level, and 120 meters from the water's edge.

Following the discovery, authorities constructed a protected area around the site with sturdy concrete enclosures. The ancient tower was also preserved in a glasshouse to minimize the impact of the natural environment.

At the end of 2001, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a decision classifying Phu Dien Tower as a National Architectural and Artistic Monument.

In 2022, the Vietnam Record Organization established the record for "Phu Dien Tower - the first ancient Cham tower buried deep under coastal sand dunes to be excavated and preserved in Vietnam". In the same year, the World Records Alliance further recognized the record for "The first ancient brick Cham tower buried deep under coastal sand dunes to be excavated and preserved in the world".

In a scientific document, Dr. Nguyen Van Quang, Deputy Head of the History Department, University of Science, Hue University, describes Phu Dien Tower as the only Cham Pa temple-tower discovered built right on the seashore.

Due to its location in a sand dune area with weak geological structure and frequent displacement, in addition to compacting the tower's foundation with sand, gravel, and clay, the ancients also built a sturdy retaining wall on the seaward side. The wall was constructed with wooden piles driven deep into the sand and filled with solid clay, providing protection against subsidence and erosion from sea waves.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/thap-cham-nghin-nam-tuoi-di-tich-dac-biet-chua-het-ngap-nuoc-20251114152055889.htm