Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and his spouse at the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Indian President Ram Nath Kovindand his spouse toured the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture in the central cityon November 19, as part of his ongoing state visit to Vietnam at the invitationof General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee andPresident Nguyen Phu Trong.
The Da Nang museum has signed a memorandum of understandingon India’s National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation, andMuseology on the compilation and publication of the catalogue “Cham Sculpturesof Vietnam and their Relationship with Indian Art”, which studies 50 sculpturesin the collection of the Da Nang museum.
The museum is collaborating with the National Museum ofIndia in studying and compiling the book, which will introduce the relationshipbetween Cham sculptures and Indian artworks. The catalogue will be printed inIndia at the end of 2018.
On the same day, the Indian President visited My SonSanctuary, a world cultural heritage site in the neighbouring province of QuangNam.
Once the religious and political capital of the ChampaKingdom, My Son Sanctuary is located on a hilly landscape in Duy Phu commune ofDuy Xuyen district, about 70km southwest of central Da Nang city and 40km fromHoi An city. It is comprised of eight groups of 71 monuments, built throughoutthe seventh to 13th centuries.
Currently, Towers K, H, and A in the complex are beingrestored, made possible via funding worth 60 billion VND (2.59 million USD)from the Indian Government. Beginning in 2017, the restoration project will lastfor five years.
Welcoming the Indian leader, Secretary of theprovincial Party Committee Nguyen Ngoc Quang thanked the former for their sponsorshipand expressed his hope that more assistance would come regarding theconservation of the historical site.
President Ram Nath Kovind praised local works in protecting MySon Sanctuary, saying he believes joint efforts among the two governments,Indian experts, and Quang Nam authorities will contribute significantly to reservingand promoting the values of the world cultural heritage.
After touring the site, the President planted a bodhi tree,brought from India, near the entrance of the sanctuary. –VNA
VNA
