The management of the Oc Eo Cultural Relic site in the southern province of An Giang has just launched an antique donation programme which calls upon residents to donate Oc Eo objects for preservation and promotion of their rich cultural values. — Photo dantri.com.vn

AN GIANG  (VNS) — The management of the Oc Eo Cultural Relic site in the southern province of An Giang has just launched an antique donation programme which calls upon residents to donate Oc Eo objects for preservation and promotion of their rich cultural values.

To date, the residents of Thoai Son district, An Giang Province, have donated 449 objects related to Oc Eo culture, including statues of Buddha made of metal or stone, gemstone necklaces, bricks from Oc Eo's architecture and other antiques. The exhibits are being displayed at the province's museum.

The relic locates in the Ba The Mountain, Thoai Son District, An Giang Province. The site, first excavated by French archaeologist Louis Malleret in 1944, is believed to have been a prosperous commercial port of the once-powerful Phu Nam (Punan) Kingdom 2,000 years ago.

There was also a system of canals and various temples and tombs built from bricks and stones in this area, which were typical of Oc Eo culture.

The donation programme will continue until December 2016. — VNS