2 ancient towers damaged by floods
The project to restore, embellish, and combat degradation of national relics of typical value of ethnic minorities (including Muong Luan tower, Chieng So tower, Muong Luan commune, Dien Bien province) with a total investment of more than 10 billion VND has just been completed in 2025.
These 2 national relics continue to be approved for a 4 billion VND project for repair due to the impact of the floods at the end of 2025.
According to the reporter's investigation, Mr. Nguyen Minh Phu - Vice Chairman of Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee has just signed Decision No. 2911 approving the investment project to build a project to renovate and repair the Muong Luan tower and Chieng So tower, Muong Luan commune.
The project has a total investment of 4 billion VND, from the support capital of Vietnam National Energy Industry Group. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is the investor, with implementation progress in 2025-2026.
The renovation and repair of the tower relic aims to overcome the consequences of natural disasters, while strengthening protection and limiting damage caused by the impact of nature in the future.
For Muong Luan tower relic, the project will renovate and repair: replacing the railing with galvanized steel; toilets; entrance to the relic; ruins of the pagoda foundation; landscape renovation.
For Chieng So tower relic, the investment and construction items include: reception house; gate drainage; relic protection fence; landscape renovation.
Symbol of Vietnam - Laos solidarity
Muong Luan tower relic (Muong Luan 1 village, Muong Luan commune) is a symbol of Vietnamese-Lao culture and solidarity. The tower is located by the Ma River, built around the 16th century, an architectural work bearing the cultural and religious features of the Lao ethnic group in Dien Bien province.
According to the elderly in Muong Luan 1 village, in 1939, a very strong earthquake occurred in the Muong Luan area, causing the tower to tilt.
Muong Luan Tower is built in the shape of a pen tower with a square body. The bottom is large, gradually shrinking upwards. The tower has a total height of 15 m, divided into 3 main parts: the base of the tower, the tower body and the top of the tower.
The tower is built from bricks, lime, mortar, sand and sugarcane. All materials used to build the tower are exploited on the spot.
Meanwhile, Chieng So tower (Na Muong village, Muong Luan commune) was built around the 15th-VI centuries.
The tower is built of bricks, lime, mortar, sand and sugarcane. The bricks used to build the tower include 2 types (brick and brick), built in the shape of a square body tower, the lower part is larger, the upper part is smaller, the tower is 10.5 m high.
Chieng So Tower is structured and divided into 3 main parts: tower base; tower body and tower top.
Around the foot of the tower in 4 corners, there are 2 elephants placed in front of the tower and 2 dogs placed behind, all animals are arranged with their heads facing forward towards the tower.
