Announcing the results of excavations at the Tran Dynasty National Special Historical Site in Quang Ninh.

Attending the workshop were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tong Trung Tin (Chairman of the Vietnam Archaeological Association), Prof. Dr. Vu Minh Giang (Chairman of the Science and Training Council, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vice Chairman of the National Heritage Council), Mr. Tran Tien Dung (Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Quang Ninh province), Mr. Ha Hai Duong (Deputy Secretary of the Town Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Trieu town), Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), along with many experts, researchers in archaeology and history, and leaders of departments and agencies in Dong Trieu town.

Professor Pham Quang Minh delivered a speech at the conference.

Comrade Ha Hai Duong (Deputy Secretary of the Town Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Trieu town) delivered a speech at the workshop.

An Sinh Temple is a crucial historical site; however, current documentation is quite scarce, especially records about An Sinh Palace during the Tran Dynasty. The excavation has helped uncover a complex of Tran Dynasty relics with multiple architectural layers, reflecting the development of An Sinh Palace during the Tran Dynasty. This has helped determine the sacred axis and orientation of the Tran Dynasty architecture; and simultaneously delineate the distribution area and structural scale of a relatively complex architectural complex spanning various historical periods.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Hong Son (Deputy Head of the History Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities) presented some archaeological findings at An Sinh Temple.

The discovery of brown-glazed pottery, especially brown-glazed ceramic pots, reveals the royal nature of the An Sinh Palace architecture during the Tran Dynasty, and also provides information about the date of An Sinh's construction during the Tran Dynasty. According to existing documents, the Tran Dynasty architecture at An Sinh began in the early 13th century. This is a crucial key to understanding the nature of the An Sinh Palace architectural complex. The excavation also yielded several particularly valuable artifacts such as a bronze phoenix statue and large brown-glazed ceramic pots decorated with lotus and dragon motifs.

The delegation offered incense at Thai Mieu Temple and An Sinh Temple before attending the conference.

The Trai Loc burial site consists of two tombs discovered close together. Although severely damaged by excavators during road construction, the excavation team concluded that the tomb's structure resembled that of Nghia Hung tomb (which was discovered in Dong Trieu in 2010), Phan Cuu tomb (Tam Duong, Thai Binh), and Hai Trieu tomb (Hung Ha, Thai Binh). All of these are tombs of Tran Dynasty nobles in their ancestral lands.

Ngoa Van Hermitage – the place of practice and enlightenment of the first patriarch of the Truc Lam Zen sect – is a complex of temples and pagodas with 15 historical sites divided into 4 clusters, of which Ngoa Van Hermitage is the most important. This temple and pagoda complex was built and continuously expanded until the Nguyen dynasty in the 19th century.

Overview of the conference

The team conducted excavations at the mountaintop – the "fairy chessboard" area, and the hermitage and tower below. According to the team's preliminary assessment, during the Tran Dynasty, the ground level of the Ngoa Van Hermitage area had only one level, with a scale equivalent to the current Tam Bao building. Here, the Tran Dynasty architectural structures had a wooden frame structure and lotus-shaped tile roofs; the scale of these structures was not large, reflecting the spirit of Zen Buddhism of harmony with, rather than being one with, nature.

Essentially, the current two-tiered foundation structure was formed during the Le Trung Hung period and has been maintained to this day. During the Nguyen dynasty, the foundation structure remained largely unchanged, with construction activities seemingly only taking place on the upper tier. After restoration or reconstruction, Nguyen-era architecture appears to have maintained the structure and style of the preceding Le Trung Hung period. By the 20th century, most of the relics at Ngoa Van had collapsed, so all existing and non-existing religious practices at Ngoa Van were relocated to the Ngoa Van shrine area.

The Đá Chồng site is a flat, spacious area with all the favorable conditions for human habitation. Archaeological investigations here have revealed traces of structures at Đá Chồng 1: a hermitage, a central area, a pagoda garden, a temple garden, and a lake; and traces of architectural structures and kilns for building materials at Đá Chồng 2. Archaeological research in 2017 suggests that small shrines were built in the pagoda garden area during the Trần dynasty. During the Lê Trung Hưng period, when Ngọa Vân was restored and renovated, Đá Chồng developed into a large and complete pagoda complex, the most complete among the pagoda complexes in Ngọa Vân.

Based on the results of archaeological excavations, the team made specific recommendations regarding the relics: the detailed planning of the An Sinh Temple complex needs to be adjusted to align with archaeological research findings, while also connecting with the Tu Phuc Mausoleum relic, maximizing the diversity of topography and natural landscape, and transforming it into a historical and cultural park. For the Trai Loc burial site, the burial ground needs to be restored; the route passing through the relic should be adjusted, the area demarcated, and a plan for long-term protection and promotion of the relic's values ​​should be developed. In addition, scientists need to conduct a comprehensive survey of the area surrounding the Thai Mausoleum to search for traces of similar relics and develop a protection plan for any existing relics.

The delegates are listening to a presentation about some of the artifacts that have been discovered.

The planning for the Ngoa Van Hermitage relic site needs to preserve the existing layout and landscape; it should be integrated with Ngoa Van Pagoda and Tinh Am to form a whole: Pagoda, hermitage - pagoda, and meditation hall. A timely plan is needed to preserve Doan Nghiem Pagoda and Phat Hoang Pagoda, two important architectural structures still remaining at the site.

Regarding the Đá Chồng relic site, the delegation recommended the restoration and preservation of this architectural complex according to the structure and scale of the Lê Trung Hưng period as discovered, thereby meeting the requirements for functionality, architectural landscape, and high feasibility. Simultaneously, they proposed a planning orientation into two sub-zones: a core area for cultural and spiritual architecture and an area for landscape exploitation and service development, building Đá Chồng into a center of religious belief and spiritual tourism. The lake needs to be renovated to both enhance the landscape and serve as a reservoir of clean water for daily use for the entire Ngọa Vân relic complex...

At the workshop, scientists and delegates contributed many ideas on zoning plans for the protection of historical sites, conservation plans, and restoration plans. To implement the planning, restoration, and enhancement of the value of Tran Dynasty relics, studying their structure, scale, and determining their value is crucial. The results of archaeological excavations have confirmed the value of Tran Dynasty relics, providing scientific arguments for planning and proposing conservation, restoration, and enhancement plans.