Chairman Vuong Quoc Tuan inspects urgent excavation of ancient boat relics in Ha Man ward, Thuan Thanh town

Chairman Vuong Quoc Tuan (third from left) inspects the urgent excavation work of the ancient boat relic.

The urgent excavation of the two ancient boats was carried out by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Institute of Archaeology under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences from March 3 to April 3, 2025, with an excavation area of ​​300 m2. The ancient boat was discovered by local people during the process of land reclamation and digging a fish pond. The historic boat is located on the Dau River, a branch of the Thien Duc River - Duong River, which flows near the western bank of Luy Lau Citadel. The finding site is approximately 1km from Luy Lau Citadel, 600m northeast of Dau Pagoda, and 500m from To Pagoda (worshipping Buddha Mother Man Nuong) as the crow flies.

Chairman Vuong Quoc Tuan discusses with leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Institute of Archaeology.

Image of two excavated ancient boats.

The Chairman urged the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Institute of Archaeology to continue excavation, clarify data, and examine the overall significance of the ancient boat relic's age, nature, and regional and local ties.  He asked the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to make a plan to hold a workshop to invite experts to participate in research and debate to have an accurate assessment of the value of the ancient boat relic…