Excavation at Gò Cây Thị B relic site at the Óc Eo - Ba Thê Archaeological Site in An Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Mạo

AN GIANG — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang will welcome the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to conduct an assessment process at the Óc Eo - Ba Thê Archaeological Site.

Dr Rima Hooja, President of ICOMOS India, will launch a field survey and evaluation of the site from August 17 to 24 to determine if it qualifies for the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Óc Eo - Ba Thê site, located in Óc Eo Commune and Mỹ Thuận Commune, covers a total area of 453.1 hectares, comprising 16 component relic sites divided into four zones: Ba Thê Mountain, Óc Eo Urban Area, Giồng Xoài and Nền Chùa.

The site is described as a significant historical and cultural crossroads linking ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms with regions in South Asia, Southwest Asia and Northeast Asia from the first to the seventh centuries AD.

It also served as a prosperous commercial port and an economic and cultural hub for the ancient Funan Kingdom that once flourished from the first to the seventh centuries AD.

Nguyễn Hữu Giềng, director of the province’s Óc Eo Cultural Relics Management Board, said the province is undertaking renovation at the Óc Eo - Ba Thê site to host receptions and working sessions with the ICOMOS expert.

The province is building protective shelters and conducting conservation adjustments at the Linh Sơn Bắc, Gò Sáu Thuần and Gò Giồng Cát relic sites.

It is also repairing infrastructure, cleaning the environment, improving landscaping, and installing explanatory and introductory panels at the 16 component sites.

Meanwhile, the management board is reorganising the artefact collection and upgrading the exhibition content at the Óc Eo Cultural Exhibition House to meet international museum standards, serving research and learning for local and international experts and visitors.

Giềng said An Giang will host a scientific conference on the Óc Eo – Ba Thê site to review preparations and documents for ICOMOS’s field survey and evaluation.

He added that the management board will collaborate with relevant agencies and local authorities to organise the “Óc Eo Cultural Heritage Week,” which is expected to take place from August 20 to 22.

He emphasised that with good preparation, the province hopes the Óc Eo–Ba Thê site will be officially honoured at the 49th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2027.

Visitors learn about the Óc Eo culture at the Óc Eo Cultural Exhibition House. — VNA/VNS Photo Khánh Hòa

The Óc Eo culture was first discovered in 1944 by French archaeologist Louis Malleret via artefacts discovered within Ba Thê Mountain.

As of now, more than 80 Óc Eo cultural relics have been found across An Giang.

The Óc Eo - Ba Thê site was recognised as a National Special Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2012.

In 2022, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre officially included the Óc Eo - Ba Thê on the tentative list for future consideration.

According to the management board, after receiving approval from the Government, the scientific dossier “Óc Eo - Ba Thê Archaeological Relic Site of An Giang Province” was sent to UNESCO at the end of January 2026 to seek its recognition on the World Heritage List.

In February, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre confirmed that the nomination dossier had fully met the technical requirements under the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, marking a step towards its entry into the ICOMOS evaluation process. — VNS