A cannon dated back 200 years ago was recently discovered in mid December during the implementation of a water supply project on Long Dinh lake, Son Hao hamlet, Quan Lan commune, Van Don district in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

200-year-old canon discovered in Quang Ninh. 

The cannon is 1.5 metres in length and 0.2 metre in diameter , its barrel was engraved with characters in Han (Chinese) script, which can be roughly translated as ‘Minh Mang 18’.

The initial results revealed that the cannon dates back to the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).

According to Chairman of Quan Lan commune People’s Committee, Luu Minh Duc, the cannon is now preserved at Van Son temple in waiting for further instructions.

Quan Lan was formerly the Van Don trading port, the first trading port of Vietnam built under the Ly dynasty in the 12th century. It was once a major trading centre in the Southeast Asia from the 12th to the 18th centuries, as it saw the participation of businessmen from Japan, China, India and the Netherlands.

Excavations carried out in the site so far have unveiled ancient architecture and grazed terracotta, proving that the place used to be a crowded urban area.

VNA