Creating Sacred in Living Heritage: A Consideration of Oc Eo-Ba The Site Complex, An Giang Province, Vietnam

NGUYỄN Thị Thanh Ngân

In early 2026, the dossier for the Oc Eo-Ba The World Heritage site was officially submitted to UNESCO. The archaeological heritage management of the Oc Eo-Ba The site complex is increasing local involvement and strengthening connections to elevate its standing for future ranking. Engagement of local people in archaeology has evolved from awareness of heritage value to participation in preservation and excavation programs. Currently, local people are worshiping and creating a sacred surrounding at the Oc Eo-Ba The site complex, as a community establishing new spiritual connections with the ancient site of the Oc Eo Culture. This presentation will show how management agencies and the local community build awareness of the Oc Eo-Ba The site complex as a sacred living heritage, in

preserving and promoting the value of archaeological heritage sites. Based on ethnographic data from in-depth interviews and shared public archaeology programs with local people, management agencies,

archaeologists, students, and teachers at the Oc Eo-Ba The site complex, this presentation proposes the concept of shared public archaeology, which forms a collective memory of the local community as a discourse in heritage acknowledgment.