Lam Dong, Sept. 15 -- The People's Committee of the central province of Lam Dong officially announced the recognition of the Bac Binh Avalokitesvara Statue, dating back to the 8th-9th centuries, as a national treasure at a ceremony on September 14. Carved from distinctive gray-black sandstone, the masterpiece stands 61 centimetres tall and weighs 13 kilogrammes. It was discovered by local farmers before 1945 while they were clearing land for cultivation in Bac Binh. The artefact was hidden in a local garden in 1996 and, in 2001, transferred to the Museum of former Binh Thuan province, now part of Lam Dong, for management, preservation, and display. Bac Binh Avalokitesvara is an outstanding work of the Champa-era sculpture art, reflecting ...