Excavation affirms scientific value of Tra Vinh’s ancient pagoda
Architectural relics unearthed at Lo Gach pagoda in Tra Vinh province carry features from the southwest region’s Oc Eo Culture, experts said following a recent excavation at the site.
Scene at the Lo Gach pagoda excavation site (Photo: vhttdlkv3.gov.vn)
Tra Vinh (VNA) – The architectural relics unearthed at Kompong Thmo pagoda,also known as the Lo Gach pagoda, in Tra Vinh southern province, carry featuresfrom the southwest region’s Oc Eo Culture, which was heavily influenced by theIndian culture, experts said following a recent excavation at the site.
Located inBa Se A, Luong Hoa commune, Chau Thanh district, the relic site consists of twolarge-scale areas – one inside the pagoda’s complex and the other in thevicinity.
Excavationsof an area of 778 sq.m dug up six brick architectural constructions sprawlingacross an estimated 4,500-5,000 sq. m.
Theseconstructions were found to share similarities with architectural relics found atGo Thanh relic site in Tien Giang and Go Xoai relic site in Long An. Both sitestrace back to the Oc Eo civilisation,which was well-known for its canals, temples and tombs built from bricks andstones.
Gold sheetsthat had elephant images carved on them found at the Lo Gach pagoda and in GoThanh were strikingly alike, as both are Buddhist architectural structures datingback to the period between the 8th and 9th centuries AD.
Otherfindings also include remnants of earthen ramparts to the west of Lo Gachpagoda.
Theseresults have prompted the Tra Vinh People’s Committee to ask the Ministry ofCultura, Sports and Tourism to consider recognizing the Bo Luy – Lo Gach pagodarelic complex as a national archaeological site.-VNA
A recent excavation at the Lo Gach archaeological site in the vicinity of Kom Pong Thmo Pagoda, the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, has revealed intact large-scale earthen ramparts believed to be the largest found so far in the southwestern region.
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Scene at the Lo Gach pagoda excavation site (Photo: vhttdlkv3.gov.vn) 
