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11th-century stone tower excavated in Bac Ninh

The foundation of an 11th-century stone tower has been unearthed at Dam Pagoda in the northern city of Bac Ninh, 30km northeast of Ha Noi, revealing complex features of Buddhist architecture of the period.

The foundation of a tower has been excavated at the site of Dam Pagoda [Credit: Viet Nam News]

Located on the southern side of Lam Son Mountain, construction of Dam Pagoda was begun in 1086 under the reign of Ly Nhan Tong and completed in 1094.

It was one of the leading examples of Buddhist architecture in the north during the Tran (1225-1400) and Le (1428-1788) dynasties. In the Tran dynasty, the pagoda consisted of 12 buildings while in the Le dynasty, it was expanded to over 100 rooms.

According to researcher Le Dinh Phung, who directed the excavation, the foundation formed a square measuring 8.4m by 8.4m. The missing tower was assumed to face east to a height of 1.56m and built with stones decorated in wave patterns.

It may have carried Buddha statue on top to face the remaining stone column at the pagoda, Phung said.

Upon excavating the foundation and a site of 300sq.m, archaeologists found building materials from the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties and concluded that Dam Pagoda was an architectural complex of four layers covering an area of over 7,500sq.m following the slope of Lam Son Mountain.

"This is one of the most intact examples of architecture from the Ly dynasty," said Viet Nam Archaeology Institute director Tong Trung Tin.

Luu Tran Tieu, chairman of the National Culture Heritage Council, said the excavation revealed various unique features of the pagoda beside the stone pillar of the pagoda. He proposed further research at the site to gain greater understanding of the architecture of the Ly dynasty.

Source: Viet Nam News [November 09, 2011]

Vietnam seeks India's help to restore ancient temples

The Vietnam government has sought assistance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to restore a portion of My Son Sanctuary, a world heritage site that has one of the largest collection of Hindu temples and monuments in Southeast Asia.

My Son Temple [Credit: tripadvisor]

"Yes, we have been approached by the Vietnamese government to undertake restoration works at the sanctuary which houses centuries-old temples, some dating as far back as the 4th century AD," ASI's Director General Gautum Sengupta told PTI.

Set in a valley surrounded by high mountains, the 70-odd monuments in My Son Sanctuary's precincts were badly damaged by US' week-long carpet bombing during the Vietnam war in 1969. The surrounding terrain is considered perilous even now because of another legacy of the war - undetected landmines.

In 1999, My Son Sanctuary, constructed by Vietnam's Champa kings between the 4th and 14th century AD, was awarded the UNESCO world heritage site tag after it won recognition as an exceptional example of cultural interchange.

After the Vietnamese government approached the ASI to help restore the temples, the body, on the direction of the Ministry of External Affairs, deputed a team of archaeological experts to study the ruins and submit a report to the Centre.

Restoration of a tower at the My Song Sanctuary [Credit: ironwulf]

"The team made a detailed report on the project, including the cost that will be incurred for the undertaking, and submitted it to the MEA," the senior ASI official said.

For years, teams from Italy and France have been working on the site, dotted with red-brick shrines and other structures, mainly built in the Indian architectural style, he said.

On why India was approached to help restore the pantheons, Additional Director General B R Mani said, "The Vietnamese government has no expertise in conserving brick monuments. Our country, on the other hand, has a lot of brick and terracota structures, so this project isn't new to us."

He said although a majority of the temples in My Son Sanctuary had survived years of wars and natural calamities, worries still persist regarding their structural soundness.

"For conservationists, the challenge is much of the construction technique used to build the temple remains a mystery. The carvings on the temples, for example, were cut directly onto the bricks, rather than onto sandstone slabs inserted into the walls," Mani said.

The ASI is presently awaiting the MEA's nod before initiating the project, the official said.

Source: Deccan Herald [November 06, 2011]

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11th-century stone tower excavated in Bac Ninh

Vietnam seeks India's help to restore ancient temples

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