The Prime Minister has approved a master plan on preserving and promoting values of the Oc Eo - Ba The special national relic site in the southern province of An Giang.
The total planned area will be 433.2 hectares, covering the Ba The mountainside and foot, and the Oc Eo field.
The scheme will focus on evaluating the natural and social environment as well as socio-economic criteria such as population, labour, tourism activities.
It also examines the situation of land usage, technical infrastructure, and construction investment in the relic site.
Outstanding cultural and historical features along with conservation orientations will be defined under the plan.
The Oc Eo - Ba The site was recognised a special national relic in September 2012.
Located in the area of Sap-Ba The Mountain, Thoai Son district, the 450-hectare Oc Eo is a well-known relic, first excavated by French archaeologist Louis Malleret in 1944. It is believed to have been a busy commercial port of the once-powerful Phu Nam kingdom 2,000 years ago.
Artifacts found in this area are clear evidence of an advanced civilisation with developed arts and crafts including jewellery and pottery making.
There were also a system of canals and various temples and tombs built with bricks and stones in this area, which were the combination of ancient civilisations in the region and the local culture.
In 1988, two stone steles and a four-hand Buddha statue within the site were declared as national relics, with Nam Linh Son Tu and Go Cay Thi winning the same status in 2002.