(HBO) – The Hoa Binh provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated with the Centre for Southeast Asian Prehistoric Studies to conduct a study of stone carvings on Co Spring in My Thanh commune, Lac Son district. The carvings are linked with the old belief of residents in local mountainous areas in the past, home to many relics of the Hoa Binh Civilisation over 20,000 years ago.
A big stone carving with concentric circles on Co
Spring in My Thanh commune, Lac Son district.
So far, only two rocks with carvings have been
discovered, about 25m apart. Both are granite, relatively big - about 5 cu.m.,
and half-submerged on the eastern bank of Co Spring.
The first rock (Block A) features a relatively
large carving that measures 25 x 35cm. The carving was formed from concave
lines about 1.5cm in width and 0.7cm in depth, clearly showing a paunchy person
with arms up. On the top of the two arms are two concentric circles with dots
at the centre and the outer circles about 6 - 7cm in diameter. Concentric
circles were a popular motif of patterns on bronze objects of the Dong Son
Civilisation.
Located about 20 - 25m from Block A, to the
spring’s upstream part, is a little bigger rock (Block B) that features four
clusters of relatively similar carvings on its flat top. The patterns cover an
area measuring 40 x 60cm. Each cluster includes two concentric circles about 7
- 8cm in diameter atop, and an almost square shape with two concave holes like
two nostrils below.
About 50m from those two objects is another rock
with part of it rising above the ground. The exposed part is 125cm long and
60cm wide and, especially, features nine concave holes which are about 6 - 9cm
in diameter, inspiring the imagination of a fish.
Dr Nguyen Viet, Director of the Centre for
Southeast Asian Prehistoric Studies, said only two rocks with five carving
clusters have been found at the site. Three of the clusters have clear lines
while two others do not. However, their styles are relatively consistent and
have the common theme of animal-like human faces. The concentric circles,
bearing the decoration style of the Dong Son Civilisation, demonstrate eyes,
noses, and mouths in a relatively similar way. The carving on Block A is
particularly important since it is bigger and faces outwards.
Notably, the stone carvings show the
skillfulness of shamans in the past, he noted, adding it is hopeful that more
relics of ancient rituals will be discovered in nearby areas./.
On November 6, the residential area, Nam Thai hamlet, Doan Ket commune (Yen Thuy) organized the Great National Solidarity Festival and celebrated the 94th anniversary of the traditional day of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930 - November 18, 2024). There was the attendance of Mr. Nguyen Tien Sinh, the Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the Chairman of the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Commission, and the leaders of the appropriate departments and branches of the province and Yen Thuy district.
The authorities and community in Yen Thuy district are dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of ethnic groups in the locality. Yen Thuy is home to seven ethnic groups, with the Muong making up over 69% of the population.
A great national solidarity festival was held in Ngai hamlet, Thach Yen commune, Cao Phong district, on November 8. Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoa Binh province Bui Van Khanh, and Colonel Trinh Duc Thiem, Commander of the provincial Military Command, attended the event.
A great national unity festival was held in Cau Son hamlet in Nhuan Trach commune of Luong Son district on November 10.
The organising board for the Hoa Binh Culture and Tourism Week 2024 has officially released its press statement.
The People’s Committee of Hoa Binh province held a press conference on November 5 to announce the details of its upcoming 2024 Culture-Tourism Week.
