Before Vietnam, there was the ancient civilization of the Cham—a seafaring culture that adopted Hindu beliefs and traded in spices and silk. A significant link between the Chams of the 4th to 13th centuries and the Vietnam of today is the Bac Binh Avalokitesvara statue, which has now been recognized as a national treasure.
The Champa civilization was an ancient Indochinese kingdom that was heavily influenced by Indian culture, and later absorbed by what is now known as Vietnam. One of the ancient civilization’s most known artifacts is the Bac Binh Avalokitesvara—a statue made of dark grey sandstone that stands at a height of 61 centimeters and weighs 13 kilograms. The statue was first discovered in 1945 by farmers while clearing land in Bac Binh for cultivation. By 2001, the statue was transferred to the Binh Thuan Museum, which is now part of Lam Dong. The statue sits there for preservation, display, and management.
The statue is an iconic piece of work because the style represents the transitional period from the 8th to 9th century of Cham visual arts to the golden age of the 9th to 10th century. It’s a piece that reflects the coming together of Cham and Indian culture, depicting the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, better known as Quan Âm in Vietnam.
The ceremony to declare the statue a national treasure was held on September 14, with an array of musical and artistic performances alongside culinary experiences and local craft demonstrations by ethnic groups. According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lam Dong now houses three national treasures, including the Bac Binh Avalokitesvara statue, the Dak Son Lithophone, and the Golden Linga. The province is also known for being the home of seven UNESCO-recognized locations and traditions, like the Dak Nong Global Geopark, Da Lat’s Creative City of Music, and the pottery of the Cham people, to name a few.