VietNamNet Bridge – The government of the central city of Da Nang has set up files to seek the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s recognition of the My Son E1 altar, Tra Kieu altar and Tara Bodhisattva statue as national treasures.
The My Son E1 altar was made in the 7th or 8th century. This is the exclusively original object which is quit intact.

The altar depicts many characters, the daily life, the nature, animals, etc. The object is a significant data for the research of culture, belief, sculpture and architecture of the My Son relic and ancient Champa in general.

Art researchers consider sculptural style of the altar as the first stable style in the history of Champa sculptural art, which is called My Son E1 style.
The Tra Kieu altar was also dated back to the 7th and 8th century. It is the exclusively original object representing the existence of a capital and worshiping zone of Champa people over 1,000 years ago in Tra Kieu.

The four sides of this object are completely intact; with sculptures depict a topic in mythodology of Champa.

The bronze-made Tara Bodhisattva statue was made in the 9th century. According to archaeologists, at the end of the 9th century, there was a big Buddhist center in Dong Duong, Quang Nam province.

Research shows that this was the biggest Buddhism center of the Champa Kingdom. Epitaphs discovered in Indochina mentioned Champa King Indravarman II’s construction of a Buddhist center and a temple of Bodhisattva Laksmindra Lokesvara there in 875.

PV