Avalokitesvara statue of Bac Binh made of sandstone recognized as national treasure

The Avalokitesvara statue of Bac Binh, dating from the 8th - 9th century, made of fine-grained sandstone, is recognized by the Prime Minister as a national treasure.

Statue of Avalokitesvara Bac Binh at Lam Dong Provincial Museum - Photo: MV

On the morning of September 14, Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee held a ceremony to announce the Prime Minister 's decision to recognize the Avalokitesvara Bac Binh statue as a national treasure at Lam Dong Provincial Museum.

This is a Cham cultural artifact dating from the 8th - 9th century, crafted from dark gray fine-grained sandstone, 61cm high, weighing 13kg.

According to Mr. Doan Van Thuan - Deputy Director of Lam Dong Provincial Museum - the Avalokitesvara Bac Binh statue is a vivid demonstration of the process of exchange and assimilation of Indian culture into Champa, reflecting the transitional period in visual arts from the 8th - 9th century to the peak period with the Tra Kieu and Dong Duong styles.

"This is a valuable artifact for research on the history of Cham art and religion, demonstrating the uniqueness of the region's culture," said Mr. Thuan.

Statue of Avalokitesvara Bac Binh seen from right and left - Photo: MV

The Avalokitesvara statue of Bac Binh was discovered by locals in 1945 in Thanh Ket village, Hong Thai commune, Lam Dong province (belonging to Bac Binh district, former Binh Thuan province). After many events, in 2001, the artifact was handed over to the Binh Thuan Provincial Museum for preservation, conservation and display. After being declared a national treasure, the Avalokitesvara statue will be displayed at the Lam Dong Provincial Museum (Da Lat area).

Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Tuan emphasized that the locality will develop a strict protection plan and regularly conduct inspections to ensure absolute safety for national treasures.

MV

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tuong-avalokitesvara-bac-binh-bang-sa-thach-duoc-cong-nhan-bao-vat-quoc-gia-20250914112937219.htm