Dong Duong altar recognised as national treasure

Dong Duong altar which dates back to the 9th-10th century has been recognised as a national treasure in Danang City.

Dong Duong altar which dates back to the 9th-10th century has been recognised as a national treasure in Danang City.

 

Dong Duong altar

Dong Duong was a Cham Buddhist centre and located 20 km from the south from the Cham religious site of My Son. The structures and items at Dong Duong reflect the development of Buddhism in the then Kingdom of Champa. One of them is the Dong Duong altar which is being kept at Danang Museum of Cham Sculpture.

Unearthed in 1902, despite some damage, it is still a valuable item. The whole altar is made from sandstone, 194 cm high and 396 cm wide. It is made up from 24 blocks of stones and detail carvings of gods and goddesses.

This is the fourth item at Danang Museum of Champa Sculpture that has been recognised as a national treasure since 2012. The previously recognised items are the My Son E1 altar, Tra Kieu altar and the statue of Tara.

Ngu Hanh Son or Marble Mountain was also recently recognised as a national special site. The Marble Mountain is a popular destination in Danang, it attracted 1.9 million tourists, including 1.27 international tourists, this year.