The government of India has decided to fund $3 million to help Vietnam preserve My Son sanctuary which was recognized one of the world’s cultural heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999. With the sum, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will conduct a preservation project on historical relics of the Cham people, said Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Ranjit Rae. The ambassador made the statement at a workshop themed “Cham civilization: the relations between Vietnam and India” held on June 26 in Vietnam’s central city of Danang. India’s financial assistance is part of the country’s preparations for an Indian cultural center in Vietnam. The ancient and mysterious My Son, which was located in Duy Xuyen district of Vietnam’s central province of Quang Nam, was discovered in 1885 by French scholars. It was given the first preservation in 1898. Many foreign organizations and governments have provided great supports to conservation projects for My Son since 1981. Among the foreigners who gave over contributions to the My Son sanctuary, Polish architect Kazimierz Kwiatkowski or Kazik is known for his painstaking project lasting for 17 years which greatly affected the UNESCO’s recognition of the relic in Dec 1999. While famous archaeologist Henry Parmentier was allegedly the first doing valuable researches on Cham arts and the relic architecture in My Son. (Tuoi Tre –Youth June 27 p12, www.nld.com.vn [1] June 26)
