The ancient well was destroyed during restoration: Request the Department of Cultural Heritage to check

On March 23, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (VOV) Thieu Hoa, Thanh Hoa province.

According to the Thanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, when checking the background of the monument, the former Le Van Huu Temple “had a lake, a well, but no Ngoc Well”. According to the map of the protection zone of Le Van Huu Temple relic, there is a well category of the temple.

Based on the results of the examination of the scientific records of the monument, the Thanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that Le Van Huu Temple was recognized by the Ministry of Culture (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as a National Historic Site in 1990. well items, but there is no document to prove that the temple’s well is a thousand-year-old ancient well.

Regarding the process of implementing the project to restore and embellish the relics of Le Van Huu Temple, in March 2019, Thieu Hoa District People’s Committee approved an investment project of 9 items, including: Main temple, stele house, house from temple, four-pillar gate, screen, gold mine, toilet, gate to the temple.

According to the construction drawing design documents, the project is divided into 3 phases. In particular, the first phase of the project is agreed and appraised by the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).

Accordingly, the Department of Cultural Heritage has content to note when implementing the first phase of the overall site plan of the monument: Compare with the ground drawing to evaluate the current state of landscape architecture of the relic site with the original plan. drawing the master plan map of the site, the location of the Dragon Well (which is the Jade Well that locals often call – PV) has been shifted from the position on the left side of the temple to the position on the right side of the temple. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the design to repair the Dragon Well at the existing location to ensure that the original element is the location of the well…

In phase 3, when implementing the Ngoc Well item, the Cultural Heritage Department appraised and also noted “adjusting the design position of the Ngoc Well to minimize the movement of the well”.

However, at the beginning of March, when the project investor, Thieu Hoa district People’s Committee, started construction, the old well with a diameter of more than 10 m was demolished to build a new well with a diameter of just over 6 m. This has led many people and researchers, who are knowledgeable about history and culture, to think that breaking down the old well to build a new well with a smaller area is not respecting historical factors, relics and Spirituality.

Before the above incident, on March 17, Thanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with Thieu Hoa District People’s Committee, Thieu Trung Commune People’s Committee, Thanh Hoa Historical Science Association and researchers of relics and history to examine the facts. worship at the temple of Le Van Huu. However, at the conference, there were mixed opinions among managers, cultural, scientific, historical and local researchers in understanding the content: “Adjusting the design position of Ngoc Well to minimize the movement of wells as noted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Due to conflicting opinions, in the immediate future, the Thanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has written to the Chairman of the People’s Committee of this province to direct the People’s Committee of Thieu Hoa district to suspend the construction of the Ngoc Well item.

However, in order to create consensus in continuing to complete the project, in time to serve the 700th anniversary of the death of historian Le Van Huu on April 23, Thanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed suggested that the Cultural Heritage Department soon organize a physical inspection and give specific instructions so that the locality and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism have a basis to implement the next steps to ensure compliance with regulations.