On March 16, Mr. Tran Anh Vu - Chairman of Lao Bao Commune People's Committee (Quang Tri) said that the locality had contacted artisan Dinh Van Tam (35 years old, residing in Trieu Binh commune), the author of the horse statue placed in the area, to survey and develop a plan to repair the damaged statues.
After being smashed, many horse statues were heavily damaged. Currently, the horse statues are covered with tarpaulins to protect them while waiting for a remedial plan.
According to Mr. Vu, in recent days, the locality has focused on implementing tasks related to elections, so surveys and repairs cannot be implemented immediately.
This morning, the locality will hold a meeting and contact artisan Dinh Van Tam to survey the level of damage and develop a plan to repair the horse statues," Mr. Vu said.
Previously, through verification, functional forces identified the two students who caused the vandalism as H.V. B (7 years old) and H.T. H (9 years old, both residing in Ka Tang village, Lao Bao commune).
After clarifying the incident, functional agencies worked with the children's families to remind, deter and request increased management and education.
Previously, Lao Bao Commune People's Committee hired artisan Dinh Van Tam to make 8 horse statues made from socialized sources, inspired by the saying "Ma dao thanh cong" (Horse arrives with success), with different sizes and shapes, symbolizing the spirit of the new year. The horse statues are meticulously shaped, with iron frames, foam, plaster and finished paint on the outside.
The series of horse statues has attracted tens of thousands of tourists and people to visit during the 2026 Lunar New Year. However, on March 11, some statues were slightly damaged, but the damage was more serious on March 12, causing many details of the horse statue to be broken and deformed due to sabotage.
