800-year-old Champa monkey statue discovered under the sea while fishing

On August 21, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Sam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province, signed a decision to establish public ownership of the statue of the monkey god Hanuman (of Champa culture, about 800 years old). The Quang Ngai Provincial Museum was assigned to receive and preserve it.

PHOTO: NVCC

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ngai province is responsible for guiding, coordinating with relevant units and implementing the reward for Mr. Duong Van Luc (65 years old, Van Tuong commune, Quang Ngai), the person who discovered the statue of the monkey god Hanuman.

According to experts, the statue of the monkey god Hanuman dates back to the 11th - 12th century, reflecting the history of the land, demonstrating sophisticated sculpting techniques and Indian influence.

Someone offered 2 billion VND but did not sell.

Mr. Duong Dinh Luc said that in early 2021, while fishing in Vung Buon (Dung Quat beach, Quang Ngai), he saw many broken pieces of pottery. Curious, he dived to a depth of 3 - 4 m, about 50 m from the shore, and discovered a stone statue protruding from the sand.

In March 2021, he and his relatives salvaged the statue and hired a crane to bring it home. The statue weighs about 150 kg, so the transportation process was very difficult.

At first, the statue was kept in the house and few people paid attention. Later, some curious people came to see it, and some even "offered 2 billion VND". However, he refused to sell it because he believed the statue had spiritual elements. In 2023, the government persuaded him to hand over the antique for preservation.

"I hand it over, hoping that the statue will be preserved and displayed for many people to know," said Mr. Luc.

PHOTO: NVCC

Accordingly, the Quang Ngai Provincial Museum has established an appraisal council. The results show that the statue of the monkey god Hanuman is made of fine-grained sandstone, 84 cm high, 40 cm wide, and weighs 150 kg. The statue consists of an octagonal stone pedestal 14 cm high and a 70 cm high statue body in a sitting position.

Details such as the round head, bulging eyes, high nose bridge, wide mouth, and circular patterns and tassels around the belly are in the late Champa sculpture style, and are also influenced by Khmer art.

The statue of the monkey god Hanuman in Quang Ngai is considered to be large in size, intact, and has important comparative value. Researchers believe that the artifact may have originated from the ruins of Chanh Lo tower, where hundreds of Champa sculptures were excavated in 1927.

A cultural researcher in Quang Ngai said that the monkey statue found in Quang Ngai shows messages conveying values ​​about the time of about 800 years of existence in the local historical flow in the Champa - Dai Viet cultural space. This is a relic of Champa culture with characteristics of Champa stone sculpture art and shows religious content influenced by India. From those values, it can be seen that this is a unique sculpture, with historical and cultural value of Quang Ngai, which needs to be researched, preserved and displayed for the public to visit and enjoy.