Ancient temple unearthed in central Vietnam

After many days of excavation, an old temple buried in sand in Ky Khang commune, Ky Anh district in the central province of Ha Tinh has been unveiled. Many pottery items are also excavated.

The temple is located on Con Choi sand bank, in the titan mining ground of Ky Anh Titan Mining Enterprise. Part of the work was unearthed at the depth of 5 meters on November 2, by mining workers.

The Museum of Ha Tinh Province has excavated the site since then. Archaeologists have collected

many pottery items, which are believed to belong to the Nguyen Dynasty.

Among these items are an outdoor altar 0f 1.20m high, 0.60m wide and 1.40m long, made by natural rock.

Excavators also found out the foundation of a square temple of 2.50m long for each side, with four pillars at the four corners. These pillars are also in square shape, 1.80m high, 0.2m wide. On one side of the pillars are parallel sentences in Chinese scripts.

Archaeologists discovered some pottery items around the temple, which belong to the Nguyen dynasty.

Le Ba Hanh, deputy director of the Ha Tinh Province Museum, said that this temple worships Duc Ong, a general who were honored as the tutelary god by local people.

The site, covering around 500sq.m, has been fenced. Hanh said the temple will be restored.