Vice Chairman Lam Hai Giang reported that it is necessary for the construction units to use machines on the restoration site to remove a leftover reinforced concrete block from the Vietnam War.
The reality, however, shows that these machines have been exploited for more tasks than that. Excavators have been used to level and dig soil near the foot of Cong Tower (one of the four towers in Banh It Tower complex), leaving gaps there and destroying many ancient bricks.
A large hill has also been leveled to make way for new concrete construction works and brick fence. Around the other three towers, there are signs of careless digging and leveling by machines, along with the elimination of low-leaved trees to save space for building tasks.
More seriously, all construction and monitoring units joining in this project are specialized in basic construction for urban infrastructure, not in relic restoration.
An expert from the Institute of Imperial Citadel Studies, who has had various researches on Cham towers in Binh Dinh Province, stressed that it is too dangerous to bring machines like excavators or bulldozers to work in the center of Banh It Tower. The selection of a construction unit specializing in urban infrastructure for this restoration project is rather inappropriate.
Since this relic is considered the heart of heritages in Binh Dinh Province, the local authorities should invite an expert to re-evaluate necessary restoration tasks in Banh It Tower, and to hire a professional, specialized working team to finish this important project.
The Binh Dinh Province Construction Department yesterday informed that the Culture & Sports Department – representing all investors of the project – displayed additional legal documents as requested. However, only one contractor presented, and other necessary documents related to the project contracts are still insufficient. The deadline for document submission is March 11, 2022.
On March 9, the Department of Cultural Heritage (under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) delivered a formal dispatch asking for a full inspection of this restoration project to perform timely actions to protect the relic and prevent any activities that can potentially harm both Banh It Tower and the surrounding ecosystem. The Department confirmed that the registration procedure for the project is in accordance with the Heritage and Culture Law, yet the project implementation is inappropriate and should be corrected immediately.
Expert in the study of Cham towers Dinh Ba Hoa shared that during the construction process, workers discovered broken pieces of a stone statue (might be a Cham statue) in the East of the Main Tower. The Museum has confirmed this news.
Mr. Hoa voiced that in such a situation of finding artifacts or architectural objects, the project must be halted at once, and reports must be prepared so that an archeology team assigned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism can come to continue the excavation professionally to preserve and promote the true value of the heritage.
