A ceremony took place on Monday in Da Nang to officially mark the handover of a certificate recognising the Cham relic site nestled in Phong Le Village, Hoa Tho Dong Ward, Cam Le District, as a municipal-level historical relic site.

Municipal People's Committee Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam (right) handing the recognition certificate to representatives of the Cam Le District authorities

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang, Head of the Department of Publicity and Training Nguyen Dinh Vinh, and municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam made their presence at the event.

In his speech delivered at the ceremony, Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam highlighted great historical and cultural values of the Phong Le Village-located Cham relic site. Mr Nam also remarked that many valuable artifacts have been found at the site, all reflecting the spiritual and economic life of Cham people from the 10^th to 12^th centuries.

Tthe Cham relic site was recognised as a municipal-level historical relic site by Da Nang government on 27 November 2020 due to its special historical and cultural values,.

Mr Nam suggested, in the coming time, the Party, government and people of  Cam Le District’s Hoa Tho Dong Ward, join efforts with the municipal Department of Culture and Sports to better conserve and promote the values of this site.

He also urged relevant local agencies to make suggestions to the city leaders about the implementation of a project on building the second campus of the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Phong Le Village, and restoring and embellishing of the Cham relic site there in the time ahead in an effort to promote the development of Da Nang tourism industry.

“Importance should be attached to establish the management board of the relic site, raising public awareness about protecting and promoting its cultural and historical values, and developing the site into an inviting place in the city associated with the proper exploitation of the history and culture”, Mr Nam emphasised.

Secretary Quang (2nd left) and other delegates being introduced to the Phong Le Village-based Cham relic site

An undamaged sacred hole was found during an excavation at the relic site

The Cham relic site nestled in Phong Le Village, Hoa Tho Dong Ward, Cam Le District, is one of Da Nang’s important Cham tower sites.

Between 2011 and 2018, the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture and the Ha Noi University of Social Sciences and Humanities together carried out three excavations on this relic site. Based on findings, the researchers and archaeologists affirmed that this relic site is the system of at least 3 Champa towers built in the 11^th century and dating back 1,000 years. Most notably, foundations of a Cham tower complex which is considered as the largest of its kind in Central Viet Nam have been discovered at the site.

By NGOC HA - Translated by M.D