The ancient Vĩnh Hưng Tower is located in Trung Hưng 1B hamlet, Vĩnh Hưng A commune, Vĩnh Lợi district, Bạc Liêu province, about 20 km from the city center. From Bạc Liêu, follow National Highway 1A towards Cà Mau for 5 km, turn at Cầu Sập, and follow the path to Vĩnh Hưng market to reach Vĩnh Hưng Tower. This is not only the sole remaining tower architecture of the Óc Eo culture in the Southwest region, but during excavations at Vĩnh Hưng Tower, archaeologists also found many extremely valuable artifacts, including stone, bronze, ceramics, and gemstones, marking a long period of existence and development (from the 4th century to the 13th century AD) of the ancient Vĩnh Hưng Tower.
The Vĩnh Hưng Tower has undergone multiple surveys. In 1911, French scholar Lunet de Lajonquiere discovered it under the name Trà Long Tower. In 1917, Henri Parmentier surveyed this area and reported it in the journal of the École française d'Extrême-Orient (No. XVII, vol. 6, 1917, pp. 48-49). In this report (under the name Lục Hiền Tower), he listed several artifacts found inside and outside the tower. Notably, among them was a stele found in the Phước Bửu Tự pagoda near the tower, inscribed with Sanskrit letters clearly stating the month of Karhila, year 814, corresponding to 892 AD, and the name of King Yacovan-Man (9th century). Archaeologists have determined that the tower was built around the 9th century AD to worship a king named Khmer Yacovar-Man.
In May 1990, archaeologists from the Institute of Social Sciences of Ho Chi Minh City (now the Southern Institute of Sustainable Development) in collaboration with the Minh Hải Provincial Museum came to survey and excavate a test pit, discovering several artifacts such as divine statues, grinding stones, Linga – Yoni, etc. Continuing the journey to clarify the value of a national relic and to serve the renovation and preservation efforts of Vĩnh Hưng Tower, in 2002 and later in 2011, the Archaeological Research Center collaborated with the Bạc Liêu Provincial Museum to excavate around the tower. These excavations aimed to reveal the foundation of the tower and resolve buried traces to find renovation solutions to enhance the tower's value. Many valuable artifacts were discovered during these surveys, including statues of goddesses sculpted in the traditional round Oc Eo – Phu Nam style, the right hand of a "Deity statue," several Linga – Yoni, ceramics used in daily life, and especially a set of bronze statues considered unique and highly valuable "national treasures" by archaeologists.
The Tower's Entrance Faces West
From a distance, the tower stands as a cylindrical block amidst the trees with an ancient appearance – partly covered in moss, and with many places where the bricks have become pitted over time due to prolonged exposure to the elements. Bạc Liêu province had to go to the Eastern region to find soil to create bricks to restore the damaged front part.
The ancient tower has a relatively simple and rustic architecture on a land area of about 100m. The entrance faces west, with the tower's base forming a rectangle with sides of 56m and 69m. The tower height is 82m (measured from the base). The three sides (east, south, north) are built of brick. The walls at the base of the tower are 18m thick and become thinner as they rise, with the walls leaning inward towards the top, creating a vaulted structure.
The Top Forms a Vaulted Structure
What has allowed this ancient tower, thousands of years old, to endure through the vicissitudes of history? According to many scientists, the ancient Khmer people used a special construction technique, using a type of plant resin to bond the bricks together without needing modern construction materials like cement or mortar. The tower is built with two types of bricks of different colors. From the base up to 4m, red bricks are used, and from 4m onwards, white bricks are used. Inside, from the main entrance, is a Linga – Yoni set symbolizing the harmony of yin and yang, restored from the original. The original Linga – Yoni set is preserved at the museum.
Recognized for its unique values, the Vĩnh Hưng ancient tower was designated as a national architectural art monument by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (formerly the Ministry of Culture and Information) in 1992. If you have the opportunity to travel to Bạc Liêu, make sure to visit the ancient Vĩnh Hưng tower to gain a deeper understanding of an ancient civilization. The scenery here is truly captivating, allowing visitors to not only admire the architectural tower but also breathe in the fresh air scented with the fragrance of wildflowers and gaze over the vast, fertile fields of a land transformed by sweet water.
