Go Thap Relic Site

Go Thap Relic Site is a Special National Relic in My Hoa Commune, Thap Muoi District, Dong Thap Province, about 43 km from Cao Lanh. It preserves remains of the Oc Eo culture dating from the 1st to 6th century associated with the ancient Funan kingdom, along with vestiges of 19th-century resistance against French rule. The complex includes archaeological mounds, temples, tombs and a museum set within the seasonally flooded Dong Thap Muoi wetland landscape.

Visitors can expect a large open archaeological park in the flat wetlands of Dong Thap Muoi with low grassy mounds, excavated foundations, temples and shrines. Key areas include Go Thap Muoi mound, Co Tu Thap mound, Minh Su mound, the tombs of Thien Ho Duong (Vo Duy Duong) and Doc Binh Kieu (Nguyen Tung), and the Go Thap Museum displaying Oc Eo artifacts such as statues, ceramics and jewelry. The site is surrounded by lotus fields, canals and rural villages with pathways connecting the monuments.

Go Thap is one of the most important Oc Eo archaeological sites in the Mekong Delta, with cultural layers dated from the 1st to 6th century linked to the ancient Funan kingdom. Excavations have revealed temple foundations, statues of Hindu deities, ceramics and jewelry. In the 19th century, the area was a base for anti-colonial resistance leaders Vo Duy Duong (Thien Ho Duong) and Nguyen Tung (Doc Binh Kieu), whose tombs and memorial temples are preserved within the relic complex. Recognized as a Special National Relic in 2012.

The site is significant for Oc Eo culture and early Hindu-Buddhist influences in southern Vietnam, and for local worship of historical figures Thien Ho Duong and Doc Binh Kieu. Annual traditional festivals are held on lunar calendar dates in March and November to commemorate these figures, attracting pilgrims and visitors. The museum and temples serve as centers for cultural education and community remembrance.