Recommendations from USSH scientists on the management, preservation, and promotion of the archaeological heritage of Lao Cai province.

Attending the conference were managers from the Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee; the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lao Cai Province; the Department of Finance; the Lao Cai Museum; the People's Committee of Bao Thang Commune; scientists from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; the Institute of Archaeology; and press agencies of Lao Cai Province. Dr. Duong Tuan Nghia - Deputy Director of the Lao Cai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Hong Son - Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities chaired the conference.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Hong Son - Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Dr. Duong Tuan Nghia - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism chaired the conference.

At the conference, Dr. Hoang Van Diep, lecturer at the Faculty of History and Culture, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, on behalf of the Vietnam-China cooperation delegation, presented a preliminary report on the excavation results at the Ngoi Nhu site and the results of the survey of prehistoric relics along the Red River in Lao Cai province in 2025.
The Ngoi Nhu archaeological site was discovered and excavated on a small scale by the Institute of Archaeology in 1995 and 1998. At that time, the site was identified as belonging to the Metal Age, equivalent to the Phung Nguyen culture period, and is important evidence of the transition from the Neolithic to the Metal Age in Lao Cai. During the 2025 excavation season, a joint research team including the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Lao Cai Museum, the Institute of Archaeology, Wuhan University (China), and the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology (China) conducted excavations at the Ngoi Nhu site from November 5th to December 25th, 2025.
According to the report, initial findings indicate that Ngoi Nhu is an open-air site with a relatively stable cultural layer, a rich collection of artifacts, and traces of various eras. Within the Ngoi Nhu cultural layer, the excavation team recorded the presence of Hoa Binh culture stone artifacts, pottery characteristic of the Metal Age, and bronze artifacts from the Dong Son period. Based on this, the research team initially determined that this is a habitation site belonging to the Hoa Binh culture, dating back to a very late period (equivalent to the Metal Age). This contributes to clarifying the long-term existence of the Hoa Binh technical tradition and the transition from the Stone Age to the Metal Age in the Northwest region of Vietnam.
In addition, the survey along the Red River in Lao Cai province has verified and discovered a total of 54 new sites, yielding 500 stone artifacts, further enriching the archaeological sites on the Lao Cai province map.
Speaking at the conference, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Mui, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, highly appreciated the archaeological discoveries at Ngoi Nhu and emphasized the immediate need to accelerate in-depth investigation and research to determine the nature and potential of archaeological heritage in the area, aiming towards planning for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values ​​in the province.
At the conference, managers and researchers exchanged ideas, discussed, and made recommendations regarding the management, preservation, research, and promotion of archaeological heritage in particular, and cultural heritage in general, in Lao Cai province. The opinions focused on immediate tasks, including urgently researching sites heavily impacted by natural disasters and socio-economic activities, developing a province-wide archaeological plan, and creating projects for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.

Discussion about artifacts unearthed at Ngoi Nhu

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Mui, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, delivered a speech at the conference.

Professor Lam Thi My Dung - University of Social Sciences and Humanities, shared her views at the conference.

Dr. Nguyen Van Quang, former director of the Yen Bai Provincial Museum and chairman of the Lao Cai Historical Society, delivered a speech during the discussion.

Mr. Le Quoc Vu, M.Sc. - Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, delivered a speech.

Mr. Do Ngoc Son, Vice Chairman of Bao Thang Commune People's Committee, spoke at the conference.