The announcement ceremony was held in OcEotownship, Thoai Son district on June 27. 

The 450ha OcEo relic is located in the area of Sap-Ba The Mountain, Thoai Son district, 40km from Long Xuyen city. This is a well-known relic, first excavated by French archaeologist Louis Malleret in 1944, which is believed to have been a busy commercial port of the once-powerful Phu Nam kingdom 2,000 years ago. 

Artifacts found in this area are clear evidence of an advanced civilisation with developed arts and crafts includingjewellery and pottery making. 

 There were also a system of canals and various temples and tombs built with bricks and stones in this area, which were the combination of ancient civilisations in the region and the local culture. 

In 1988, two stone steles and a four-hand Buddha statue within the site were declared as a national relic site, with Nam Linh Son Tu and Go Cay Thi winning the same status in 2002. 

The provincial authorities have come up with a plan to establish OcEo relic site management board while raising public awareness of protecting and upholding its cultural values.

VOV