HÀ NỘI — Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and his spouse toured the Đà Nẵng Museum of Cham Sculpture in the central city on November 19, as part of his ongoing State visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng.

The Đà Nẵng museum has signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology on the compilation and publication of the catalogue “Chàm Sculptures of Việt Nam and their Relationship with Indian Art”, which includes 50 sculptures from Đà Nẵng’s collection.

The museum is collaborating with the National Museum of India in studying and compiling the book, which will explore the relationship between Chàm sculptures and Indian artworks. The catalogue will be printed in India at the end of 2018.

On the same day, the Indian President visited Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, a world cultural heritage site in the neighbouring province of Quảng Nam.

Once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom, Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary is located on a hilly landscape in Duy Phú Commune of Duy Xuyên District, about 70km southwest of central Đà Nẵng and 40km from Hội An. It is comprised of eight groups of 71 monuments, built between the seventh and 13th centuries.

Currently, Towers K, H, and A in the complex are being restored, made possible through funding worth VNĐ60 billion (US$2.59 million) from the Indian Government. Beginning in 2017, the restoration project will last for five years.

Welcoming the Indian State leader, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyễn Ngọc Quang thanked the former for their sponsorship and expressed his hope that more assistance would come regarding the conservation of the historical site.

President Ram Nath Kovind praised local efforts to protect Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, saying he believes joint work by the two governments, Indian experts and authorities in Quảng Nam will contribute significantly to preserving and promoting the values of the world cultural heritage site.

After touring the site, the President planted a bodhi tree, brought from India, near the entrance to the sanctuary. — VNS