Hưng Lợi Pottery Kiln was damaged due to locals taking pottery scraps and building house in the area. – Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

HCM CITY – HCM City is working to save Hưng Lợi Pottery Kiln, which has been damaged greatly due to the urbanisation process.

Hưng Lợi Pottery Kiln, situated in District 8, was recognised as a national archaeological site in 1998 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The site is divided into three sectors with 836 square metres of core area being strictly protected around a 10.000sq.m second area. However, these two areas have been leveled by residents in the district to plant trees and build houses.

According to District 8's People’s Committee, after being recognised as a national archaeological site and barricaded for preservation purposes, land compensation issues arose for the people in the surrounding area.

Nguyễn Thị Hậu, general secretary of the HCM City Historical Science Association, said that the area around the pottery kiln is a rapidly urbanising area. Pottery scraps at the site are being taken by locals to build their houses.

Local authorities are the one that are at fault for not warning relevant authorities to this risk.

She also said that the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports should also plan a project to restore the site based on the 1988 excavation documents.

Cao Thanh Bình, head of Department of Culture of HCM City People’s Council, said that to save the site, ward authorities can send social workers to clean it up.

They can also work on attracting private investors to invest in the site and set up surveillance cameras to monitor the situation in the area.

Bình had requested that the departments responsible for preserving the site need to designate the restoration of the relic site as an urgent matter. VNS