The Lam Dong province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 8 said that it recently applied for Special National Heritage recognition for the Cat Tien archeological site in the province’s Cat Tien district.

According to the Lam Dong museum, the Cat Tien relic was excavated in 1991 and recognized as a National Relic in 1998. The excavated area accounts for some 10 hectares, while the unexcavated section, which remains within locals’ properties, takes up roughly 70ha.

Ravaged by antique hunters and gold miners prior to the excavation, the relic has seen disruption on the surface.

According to Luong Nguyen Minh, head of the relic management, Cat Tien is a tower complex which dates back to the 7th or 8th century.

With its surface architecture ruined, the remaining vestige is the brick walls, which stand some 3m high and are made from specially-shaped bricks. Its submerged structure, which measures some 1.5m deep, is also built from bricks.

Minh noted that if Cat Tien wins the special national relic recognition, more investment will be provided to expand the excavation, study and decoding of historical and cultural mysteries the site holds.