THUA THIEN-HUE (VNS)— Hoa Chau Citadel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue is deteriorating, researchers said in a report.

The citadel with artefacts of Champa culture (2nd-19th century), Tran-Le (13th-18th centuries) and Nguyen (19th-20th centuries) dynasties was discovered in 1997 during excavations by the Viet Nam Institute of Archaeology and others.

Hue University of Sciences experts have since co-operated with researchers from Japan's Kanda and Osaka universities to survey the citadel and comb it for artefacts.

However, they recently reported that the vestige was deteriorating as a result of exposure to weather and incursions by nearby residents. Their report is expected to bring action from authorities to provide greater protection and give urgency to preservation. — VNS