Findings on ancient Cham bricks and mortar have contributed to the restoration and conservation of My Son World Heritage.

At a press briefing held in Hanoi on December 21, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Enzo Angeloni said the result of the second phase of the “Safeguarding of My Son World Heritage” project was attributable to the joint efforts of the Vietnamese and Italian scientists and the assistance of the Italian Government and the UNESCO representative office in Vietnam.

The Italian diplomat said the project is on the Italian Government’s priority list for development cooperation in Vietnam. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Italian Government will continue assisting Vietnam to implement the third phase of the project.

He introduced a draft manual on the restoration of heritages based on experience gained during the implementation of the project. This publication, in English and Vietnamese, will soon be available at national and international level.

The project, financed by Italy through UNESCO, was carried out with non-refundable aid of US$642,000 in the first phase from 2003 to 2005 and US$453,000 in the second phase from 2006-2010.

Under the project, Italian, UNESCO and Vietnamese experts have conducted research activities and materials analysis and tested building techniques and provided vocational training for officials and management officers of the My Son’s archeological area.

The My Son archeological area, one of the most important relics in Vietnam, was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999.