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VietNamNet Bridge – On the afternoon of September 13, the head of the Monument Management Department (Cultural Heritage Bureau) and antique assessment experts of the Museum of Vietnamese History went to the central province of Quang Ngai to check the sunken ship which contains many ceramic items dated back to the 15th century.
Quang Ngai blockades the shipwreck with 500-year-old antique
These experts and officials of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Museum of Quang Ngai Province visited Chau Thuan Bien village (Binh Chau Commune, Binh Son District) to survey the waters, where the wreck is located, which is just about 100 meters from the shore.
This morning, September 14, the delegation worked with Quang Ngai officials to discuss plans for excavation and salvage of the ship.
As hundreds of fishermen rushed to Chau Thuan Bien to collect antiques from the sunken ship, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Vinh Ai has sent a written request to Quang Ngai province, asking the local government to strengthen measures to protect the wreck, to prevent illegal salvage of antiques and to recover artifacts from local people.
The Ministry of of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also asked Quang Ngai authorities to design plans and prepare required procedures for the urgent excavations, using funds from the local budget.
According to the People's Committee of Binh Chau commune, the authorities confiscated and pursuaded local people to hand over 36 artifacts from the sunken ship. At present, fishermen have been completely prevented from taking antiques from the wreck. This area is guarded 24/7.
A young fisherman with a piece of ancient ceramic from the sunken ship.
Earlier, dozens of antique traders from Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh flocked to fishing villages in Binh Chau to buy antiques that local people picked up from the wreck. Among the artifacts, the most valueable items are deep blue glazed plates, carved with flowers, with diameter larger than 40 cm.
Lam Du Xenh, an antique collector in Quang Ngai, said each ancient plate of this kind is priced VND20 million ($1,000), not up to VND60 million ($3,000) as rumor. In addition, some ancient bowls and plates which are intact are worth from VND500,000 ($25) to several million dong.
Xenh said that the authorities should ask local fishermen to help salvage of antiques because they are not only good at diving and have specialized equipment but also know the exact location of the sunken ship.
"If Quang Ngai province does not excavate the wreck, artifacts will be not only lost due to theft but also be broken by large waves in the rainy season this year," said Xenh.
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