On June 3, news from Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee said that the locality has sent a document to the Ministry of Construction requesting to study adjusting the route of the North-South high-speed railway project outside the protection area II of the Hoa Lai tower special national relic.
Hoa Lai tower (Ba Thap) relic complex in Ba Thap village, Thuan Bac commune was built around the 8th - 9th centuries. This is one of the ancient Cham tower complexes that dates back early and is still relatively intact, considered the most beautiful to date.
According to the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province, the architectural and artistic and archaeological relic Hoa Lai tower in Thuan Bac commune was ranked as a special national relic by the Prime Minister in 2016.
This is one of the typical ancient Cham architectural complexes that is still relatively intact in the South Central region.
In the process of reviewing the pre-feasibility study report of the North-South high-speed railway project, Khanh Hoa province determined that the section passing through Thuan Bac commune is located in the protection area II of Hoa Lai tower.
This is the area surrounding or adjacent to the area containing the original elements that make up the relic.
According to local assessments, the construction of large-scale transport infrastructure projects in the vicinity risks affecting the cultural and historical space, landscape, architectural axis as well as the integrity of the relic.
In addition, construction activities such as foundation treatment, drilling piles and operating the project may affect the archaeological environment, the unrevealed archaeological stratigraphy and the original elements constituting the relic.
Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee also believes that with the characteristics of large dynamic loads, high operating frequency and high operating speed, the high-speed railway line may generate vibrations, noise and prolonged technical impacts throughout the construction and operation process.
These factors are identified as potentially affecting the structural stability, material durability and conservation environment of ancient architectural works dating back as long as Hoa Lai tower.
Citing the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage that ranked relics must be zoned into two protected areas, Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee proposed that the Ministry of Construction consider adjusting the route direction to minimize the impact on relics.
