Excavation to be conducted at historic pagoda

The plan, approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST), will be implemented in six months from August 25, 2018 to February 25, 2019 on an area of 900sq.m a report from the ministry said yesterday.

University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Hanoi National University in collaboration with Quang Ninh province’s Museum are assigned to manage the excavation, which will be implemented on three archaeological sites of Cua Phu, Do Kieu and Thong Dan, all of which are part of the Ngoa Van Pagoda complex, according to the MoCST. 

Ngoa Van Pagoda - one of 14 historical relic sites of the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400) - was approved by the Government as a special National Heritage in 2014.

The pagoda is the place where Buddha-Emperor Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308) founded Truc Lam Zen Monastery and attained Nirvana.

During the excavation, the MoCST has ordered local authorities to pay attention to protect the strata of the relic, saying that they should be responsible for disseminating information to local people to improve their awareness on the need to protect such a valuable historical and cultural heritage.

The ministry also asked excavation units not to announce their work results until they got approval and agreement from the chief management unit and the Cultural Heritage Department (CHD).

For the archaeological artifacts collected during the excavation, the provincial Museum and Department of Culture and Information should be responsible for storing, preserving and reporting to the minister of the MoCST.

A plan to preserve and promote the value of such artifacts should also be set up and reported to the ministry, according to the decision.

The MoCST ordered management units to make preliminary reports right after the excavation programme concludes, saying it should not be later than three months after the excavation.

To follow that, a scientific report should be set up and reported to the CHD no later than one year after the excavation, according to the MoCST decision.

Before issuing the results of the excavation, the excavation management units should discuss with the CHD, which will monitor and inspect the excavation work in accordance with the content of the ministerial decision.

Located on Bao Dai Mountain, Binh Khe commune in Dong Trieu town, Ngoa Van Pagoda has been developed to be one of 14 tourism destinations in Quang Ninh province to meet the demand for spiritual tourism of Buddhist monks and pilgrims across the country.

In the past, to create a chance for pilgrims and visitors to show respect and gratitude to the contributions of Buddhist King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, and to pray for a happy and peaceful year and to attract more tourists to the district, the locality has strived to turn the place into an ideal destination for tourists.

A traditional path to the pagoda was paved and a cable car system was built to enable visitors to contemplate the peaceful atmosphere and the breathtaking beauty of the place.

The pagoda relic complex includes four areas, namely Thong Dan, Ngoa Van, Da Chong and Ba Bac, with 15 groups of different temples and towers. Ngoa Van Pagoda is the central part of the complex. In the past, people had to walk along a slippery path to the Pagoda by starting from An Sinh Temple, going along Phu Am Tra stream to Do Kieu slope and crossing Thong Da.

Since 2016, the province also held the annual Ngoa Van Spring Festival in Ngoa Van Pagoda, from January 9th till the end of March in the lunar calendar.