(HBO) – Cho Cave lies in the southwestern slope of Sang mountain in Hui hamlet, Cao Ram commune, Luong Son district – where a part of Hoa Binh culture inhabitants lived. In 1926, French archaeologist M.Coloni chose to unearth Cho cave relic site to study Hoa Binh culture.
Photo
caption: Residents in Cao Ram commune, Luong Son district explore Cho Cave
relic site.
Cho Cave lies in a favourable location with a wide valley having fertile
land and lush greenery all year round in front of its gate. Thanks to proximity
to water sources, it is easy to go hunting, picking fruits, seeking seafood and
herbs. For this reason, primitive inhabitants lived in Cho Cave, which was
evidenced by thick cultural layers containing molluscous feed wastes and big
sets of stone tools. With more than 1,000 artifacts on display at the Vietnam
Museum of History, the Anthropology Museum, the Vietnam Institute of
Archaeology and the Hoa Binh Museum, scientists affirmed that Cho cave is an
important archaeological relic site with great values for studies and
exploration of a famous prehistoric culture: Hoa Binh Culture.
Taking us to the unearthed areas in Cho cave, Dinh Thi Nu, a culture
official in Cao Ram commune said there are stone artifacts typical of Hoa Binh
culture such as pebble stone tools and others of oval, almond and rectangular
shape. Animal vestiges found in the cave showed that hunting was then a major
job. The main cultural layer is thick snail molluscous and clam shells. With
abundant vestiges and thorough preservation, one could imagine how the life in
the cave came along thousands years ago when holding left-over vestiges.
From such evidence, scientists believed that Cho cave dated back to 10,000
years ago and was in the period of transition to the New Stone Age.
With great values of Cho Cave, Chairman of the Cao Ram communal People’s
Committee Hoang Van Thuong said local residents are proud of Cho cave relic
site. The commune built a road leading to the cave with guards on standby. The
local people regularly come to clean up the road and grow trees in front of the
cave’s gate to attract tourists. However, the number of tourists to the site is
limited, mostly pupils in Luong Son district. Several foreign delegations came
for archeological work./.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
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