Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site aims for World Cultural Heritage

A large number of managers, researchers and experts attended the Scientific Conference to give comments and evaluate the draft of the nomination dossier and management plan of the Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site to be submitted to UNESCO for recognition as a World Cultural Heritage site, which was held on September 4 in Hanoi.

Speaking at the Conference, Vice Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Dossier Building Committee Le Trung Ho said that An Giang province has completed the first phase of the process of building a dossier to nominate the Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site to submit to UNESCO for recognition as a World Cultural Heritage.

Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong chaired the Conference. (Source: Van Hoa Newspaper)

According to Mr. Le Trung Ho, An Giang always determines that preserving and promoting the value of the Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site is not only a responsibility to the past but also a practical action for the present and the future.

At the same time, the province is committed to closely coordinating with professional agencies, international organizations, and scientists to build a solid and convincing scientific dossier, contributing to making this relic site a World Heritage Site, contributing to the world's cultural treasure.

Currently, An Giang province is focusing on completing the final procedures to prepare nomination documents and heritage management plans.

The goal is to submit the draft nomination dossier to the World Heritage Centre before September 30, 2025, and the official nomination dossier to the World Heritage Centre before February 1, 2026.

Vice Chairman of the National Heritage Council Dang Van Bai said that this relic site has great potential to become a world heritage site. It is representative of the ancient port of Southeast Asia, a testament to the East-West exchange, and a clear mark of the creative delta civilization.

The conference agreed that, based on the criteria of outstanding universal value, the Oc Eo - Ba The Archaeological Site can meet the criteria: Demonstrating an important intersection of human values, over a period or in a cultural area of ​​the world; developing architecture, technology, temple-building art, urban planning or landscape design; unique or distinct evidence of a cultural tradition or civilization that has disappeared or still exists.

In addition, the site must also meet the criteria of being an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land use or sea use, representing one or more cultures, or human-environment interaction in a context vulnerable to irreversible change.

To realize the goal of building a nomination dossier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has closely coordinated with the People's Committee of An Giang province and consulting units to carry out many research activities, supplement documents, and clearly define the boundaries, scope and outstanding values ​​of the heritage.

The workshop is an important opportunity for domestic and foreign experts and scientists to discuss and consult on the nomination criteria and outstanding global values ​​of the relic site.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong affirmed that the dossier of the Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site not only has scientific and cultural heritage significance but also political significance. As the deadline for submitting the dossier is approaching, the completion work needs to be carried out urgently.

Linh Son Nam relic belongs to Oc Eo - Ba The relic site. (Source: Van Hoa Newspaper)

Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site is located in Oc Eo town, Thoai Son district, An Giang province, with a total planned conservation area of ​​about 433.1 hectares. Of which, the slope and foot of Ba The mountain (area A) is nearly 144 hectares, and Oc Eo field (area B) is more than 289 hectares.

Oc Eo - Ba The is an important vestige of the Oc Eo civilization, which flourished in the South from the 1st to the 7th century. This was once one of the major trading centers of the kingdom of Phu Nam, with a system of canals, architecture and archaeological relics reflecting a high level of economic, cultural and religious development.

The relic site is a complex, including residential centers, religious architecture, craft workshops, ancient canals and burial grounds distributed from the slopes of Ba The mountain to Oc Eo field.

With more than 1,000 years of history - spanning from the late 12th century BC to the 12th century AD, the Relic Site is an outstanding testament to the formation and development of a complex ancient urban center, undergoing many stages of expansion, transformation and adaptation.

In particular, Oc Eo - Ba The represents a unique urban-port model, formed and developed in the flooded coastal environment of the lower Mekong River. This is one of the earliest examples in Southeast Asia of a large-scale power-economic-religious center, planned according to a geometric layout associated with a system of artificial canals, flexibly adapted to the terrain and hydrology.

With its outstanding values, in 2012, the Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological and architectural relic was ranked as a special national relic. In January 2022, the World Heritage Center included the relic site in the list of candidates for world cultural heritage records.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/khu-di-tich-khao-co-oc-eo-ba-the-huong-toi-di-san-van-hoa-the-gioi-326747.html