Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site aims for World Cultural Heritage
WVR -On September 4, in Hanoi, a large number of managers, researchers, and experts attended the scientific conference to provide feedback and evaluate the draft nomination dossier and management plan for the Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site, aiming for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage recognition.
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Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Dossier Development Committee Le Trung Ho stated that An Giang province has completed the first phase of the nomination dossier for the Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site to be recognized as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
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| Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong chaired the conference. (Source: Van Hoa Newspaper) |
According to Mr. Le Trung Ho, An Giang is committed to preserving and promoting the value of the Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site as a responsibility to the past and a practical action for the present and future.
The province also pledges to work closely with specialized agencies, international organizations, and scientists to build a solid, convincing scientific dossier, contributing to the site's recognition as a World Heritage, enriching the cultural heritage of humanity.
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Currently, An Giang province is focusing on completing the final procedural steps to prepare the nomination dossier and management plan for the heritage.
The goal is to submit the draft nomination dossier by September 30, 2025, and the official nomination dossier by February 1, 2026, to the World Heritage Center.
Vice Chairman of the National Heritage Council Dang Van Bai noted that this site holds immense potential to become a world heritage. It represents the ancient Southeast Asian port city, evidences East-West exchanges, and is a clear mark of the creative delta civilization.
The conference agreed that, based on the criteria for outstanding global value, the Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site meets the criteria: Demonstrating significant interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world; development of architecture, technology, temple construction, city planning, or landscape design; unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or civilization that has disappeared or still exists.
Additionally, the site meets the criteria as an outstanding example of traditional human settlement, land use, or sea exploitation, representing one or more cultures, or the interaction between humans and the environment in a context vulnerable to irreversible change.
To realize the goal of building the nomination dossier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has closely coordinated with An Giang Provincial People's Committee and consulting units to conduct extensive research, supplement documentation, and clearly define the boundaries, scope, and outstanding value of the heritage.
The workshop was an important occasion for experts and scientists, both domestic and international, to discuss and consult on the nomination criteria and the site's outstanding global value.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong affirmed that the dossier for the Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site holds not only scientific significance for cultural heritage but also political importance. With the submission deadline approaching, the completion work needs to be expedited.
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| Linh Son Nam relic, part of the Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site. (Source: Van Hoa Newspaper) |
| The Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological site is located in Oc Eo town, Thoai Son district, An Giang province, with a total conservation planning area of about 433.1 hectares. This includes the Ba The mountain slope and foothill area (zone A) of nearly 144 hectares, and the Oc Eo field (zone B) of over 289 hectares. Oc Eo-Ba The is a significant remnant of the Oc Eo civilization, which flourished in Southern Vietnam from the 1st to the 7th century. It was once a major trading center of the ancient kingdom of Phu Nam, with a network of canals, architecture, and archaeological artifacts reflecting a high level of economic, cultural, and religious development. The site is a complex ensemble, including residential centers, religious architecture, craft workshops, ancient canal routes, and burial areas distributed from the Ba The mountain slope to the Oc Eo field. With over 1,000 years of history, spanning from the end of the last century BC to the 12th century AD, the site is a prominent testament to the formation and development of a complex ancient urban center, undergoing various phases of expansion, transformation, and adaptation. Notably, Oc Eo-Ba The showcases a unique urban-port model, formed and developed in the waterlogged coastal environment of the Mekong Delta. It is one of the earliest examples in Southeast Asia of a large-scale power-economic-religious center, planned with a geometric layout connected to an artificial canal system, flexibly adapting to the terrain and hydrology. With its outstanding values, in 2012, the Oc Eo-Ba The archaeological and architectural site was ranked as a special national relic. In January 2022, the World Heritage Center included the site in the tentative list for a world cultural heritage nomination dossier. |
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