Some years ago, a man living in HCM City got permission from the authorities of Binh Thuan province to explore for 4,000 tons of gold, believed to be buried at Nui Tau (Tau Mountain). Nothing was found.

Some days ago, another man asked the local authorities to exploit 3 tons of gold believed to be hidden under the Ca Ty River. Huynh Phu T, 42, in Dong Hai district of Bac Lieu province, sent a document to the Binh Thuan People’s Committee and other agencies, applying for a license to exploit the treasure.

The man pledged to pay a deposit of VND500 million (about US$23,000), which would be used to settle environmental problems to arise during the exploitation process.

The Binh Thuan provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that it had received the application and has given guidance on how to ask for permission.

T has been requested to provide information, materials and images proving the existence of the treasure. T also needs to draw up an exploitation plan and pay a deposit to commit to an environmental problem settlement.

After fulfilling the procedures, T will have to send documents to the department for examination. If T can satisfy all requirements, the department will submit a dossier to the provincial authorities for consideration and approval.

In the document to the local authorities and agencies, T said his ancestors discovered that the Imperial Japanese Army buried 3 tons of gold and precious things under the Ca Ty River (the river section running through Phan Thiet City).

T said the treasure was discovered long ago, so documents and images no longer exist. He only has information about the place where the treasure is hidden. Therefore, if he can obtain a license from the Binh Dinh provincial authorities, he will "join forces with partners to exploit the treasure".

T suggested that there should be police to protect the exploitation, and financial officers to take stock of assets after the treasure is uncovered. 

T wants 30 percent of total value of the assets to be collected from the treasure, while the remaining 70 percent would be returned to the state.

Nui Tau’s treasure

Like T, another man also has a dream about recovering a treasure hidden by the Japanese army. Thirteen years ago, the elderly man in HCM City got permission from Binh Thuan provincial People’s Committee to explore the treasure with 4,000 tons of gold thought to be buried at Nui Tau in Phuoc The commune of Tuy Phong district.

However, after many efforts and spending big money, the man could not find any tael of gold there.

The man was Tran Van Tiep from Phu Nhuan district in HCM City (he passed away), called ‘the man who looks for treasure at Nui Tau’.

From 1993 to October 2011, Tiep and his co-workers explored and searched clues about the treasure containing 4,000 tons of gold, which was buried by a Japanese General at Nui Tau in the World War 2.

In October 2011, Binh Thuan authorities approved the exploration plan, to be implemented within nine months, from October 2011 to July 2012.

However, no treasure was found during the time, and the local authorities decided to extend the exploration time twice. The exploration period ended in late 2014. Tiep then asked for another extension, but the local authorities turned down the proposal, affirming that there is no treasure there. A taskforce was set up to supervise exploration activities.

In March 2015, Binh Thuan Party Committee officially released a decision on stopping the exploration.

However, the dream about a treasure left by Japanese is still cherished by many people. In 2016, another man in HCM City reported to local authorities about a treasure containing 4,000 tons of gold that he believed was lying under three coastal ancient wells in Phuoc The commune of Tuy Phong district, not far from Nui Tau.

After receiving the report, the communal authorities sent a fact-finding team to the site and forwarded the report to agencies. However, this remains a rumor.

The mother of Huynh Phu T, who has asked for permission to exploit 3 tons of gold under Ca Ty river, on April 6 told VietNamNet that she doesn’t believe that such as treasure exists.

Quang Hung