National Treasures in the Homeland

Considered the soul of a thousand-year-old historical culture, when mentioning treasures associated with the Hung King era in Phu Tho, it is impossible not to mention the special treasure, the Nha Chuong collection. Historically, Nha Chuong symbolized the power of the leader, made of jade, using crafting techniques such as: grinding, chiseling, drilling, sawing, creating small symmetrical grooves, creating very sophisticated radial holes; in addition to the techniques of smoothing, polishing, beveling in V-shape, fishtail shape, achieving a high level of aesthetics. The selection of jade material and the use of compatible stone crafting techniques have created the uniqueness of Nha Chuong. Up to now, the only Nha Chuong collection has been discovered in Phu Tho - the first capital of the Van Lang State.

The Hung Temple bronze drum was found in 1990 at Phan Ngui hill, Hy Cuong commune, Viet Tri city. With the technique of bronze casting, the pinnacle of decoration, the sophisticated, quite rich and highly stylized patterns on the bronze drum reflected the thinking and life of people in the Hung King era. The drum has a face diameter of 93cm, a bottom diameter of 94cm, a height of 66cm, a weight of 90kg, made of brass, Heg I type, group C. This is the largest Dong Son drum among all known Dong Son drums in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The drum face is thickly cast, in the middle is the sun disc, around the sun disc are 3 connecting lines forming 3 concentric circles, creating 2 empty spaces separated by 9 decorative patterns. The drum body is divided into 3 parts, including: The drum body adjacent to the drum face is bulging with a diameter of 1m, 18.5cm high, decorated with stylized patterns in a patterned ring consisting of 5 small rings in order from top to bottom. The drum back is 27cm high, 80cm in diameter, has 8 rectangular frames with stylized costumes alternating with vertical rings. The base is bulging more than the waist, 98cm in diameter, the part adjacent to the waist is 2cm, without decoration, then the concentric rings.

Excavated in 1976 at the Ca village archaeological site, Tho Son ward, Viet Tri city, the National Museum of Vietnam, the bronze belt buckle is the first and only unique artifact found in Phu Tho to date. The belt buckle is 21cm long, 5.5cm wide, weighs 380gr and is made of brass, consisting of 8 turtles hooked together. According to research by historians and scientists, the people who wore this bronze belt buckle were leaders. Along with its historical value, the bronze belt buckle also demonstrates the sophisticated brass metallurgy and high aesthetic thinking of our ancestors during the Hung King period. In particular, the decorative art is very delicate and highly symbolic with the shaping of the outside of each part of the belt in the shape of 4 turtles mixed with S-shaped spiral patterns. The turtle image carved on the belt surface has also been uniquely stylized.

Carrying cultural imprints and unique artistic values ​​through each historical period, the National Museum not only affirms its cultural richness but also gathers intellectual quintessence. Recognized as a National Museum in 2020, the statue of Mother Au Co is currently worshiped in the sanctuary of the main hall of Mother Au Co temple in Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district. The statue is an original, unique artifact with full, sharp motifs containing many elements of royal art of the Nguyen Dynasty. The statue is carved from jackfruit wood, gilded with gold, with an overall height of 149cm, the thickest dimension 39cm, the widest dimension 44cm. The statue sits on a unicorn pedestal, with both hands placed on the knees with the fingers in a mudra placed in the throne. The statue of Mother Au Co has a gentle but very majestic and imposing demeanor, true to the qualities of the National Mother. The face is holy with a high forehead, a small nose, drooping ears, a three-layered neck, and a crown on the head. The statue has a slender body wearing two layers of clothes decorated with delicate carvings. The clothes fall down to the toes of the shoes, placed on a base of a lying unicorn.

The four national sanctuaries associated with the Hung King era not only have aesthetic and artistic values, but are also witnesses to stories about history, culture as well as many aspects of society in many past eras. Thanks to the implementation of management and preservation work, the national sanctuaries have been promoting historical values, arousing pride in tradition, awareness of preservation, continuing national values, and at the same time, ensuring the right to enjoy culture of the people. The functional sector has also organized many exhibition programs to introduce the province's typical cultural heritage, including the national sanctuaries; promoted propaganda work, regularly promoted the image of artifacts and national sanctuaries on the media. In particular, bringing information and values ​​of artifacts and national sanctuaries into the heritage experience education program helps students understand the historical origin and value of treasures, so that they are aware of preserving and contributing to the conservation and promotion of the value of treasures.