Admire 18 National Treasures Announced for the First Time

On January 10, for the first time, the National Museum of History organized an exhibition of 18 Vietnamese national treasures so that visitors could explore the historical and cultural stories of the nation.

Let's admire 18 out of 118 national treasures on display this time. The exhibition period is from January 10 to May 2017.

Hoang Ha Drum

Hoang Ha Drum:Bronze material (Dong Son culture), about 2000 - 2500 years ago. Decision to recognize as a National Treasure of Vietnam in 2012. Discovered in Noi Thon hamlet, Hoang Ha village, Phu Xuyen district, Ha Son Binh province (now Hanoi). Hoang Ha bronze drum is a typical H1 drum, with unique design, motifs and decorative motifs that are still quite intact. The large Hoang Ha bronze drum is a special specimen classified in the same group of Ngoc Lu bronze drums, the most typical group of drums.

Dao Thinh jar

Dao Thinh jar (Bronze).Dong Son culture, about 2000 - 2500 years ago. Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2012.In Dong Son culture, bronze jars are typical relics after bronze drums and mainly appear only in the distribution area of ​​this culture. Among hundreds of jars discovered, Dao Thinh jar is the largest jar with the most rich, tight, sophisticated and unique decorative patterns.

Kneeling Lamp

Kneeling Man Lamp (Bronze).Dong Son culture, about 2000 - 2500 years ago.Decision to recognize Vietnam as a National Treasure in 2012. The lamp is depicted in the image of a bare-chested man wearing a loincloth kneeling, holding a lamp plate with both hands.

The kneeling human lamp is a unique artifact, representing the typical and unique ancient art of the late Dong Son culture, which had exchanges with Han culture. The lamp demonstrates skillful casting techniques and reflects the aesthetic sense of the universe of the ancient inhabitants of this period. Therefore, the kneeling human lamp deserves to be nominated for consideration for inclusion in the list of National Treasures.

Statue of two men carrying each other and playing flutes

Statue of two men carrying each other and playing flutes(Copper). Dong Son culture, about 2000 - 2500 years ago. Decision to recognize Vietnam's National Treasure in 2012

This is the most vivid statue in the Dong Son round statue system. The statue depicts two men wearing loincloths, heads wrapped in scarves, and wearing large earrings touching their shoulders. The person carrying the statue is in a hunched position, with his arms around the back to support the person sitting on his back, his legs seeming to be dancing to the music. The person being carried is enthusiastically playing the flute. The statue is depicted in a hollow block, with many angles and curves, requiring complex molding techniques. Therefore, the statue is not only evidence of a traditional national music form originating from the Dong Son culture, but also reflects the rich spiritual life, optimism, love of life as well as the pinnacle of bronze casting of the ancient Vietnamese people.

Ngoc Lu Drum (Bronze).Dong Son culture, about 2,000 - 2,500 years ago.

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2012.

Discovered in Nhu Trac commune, Ly Nhan district, it was later moved to worship at Ngoc Lu communal house, Ha Nam. In 1902, the drum was collected by the School of Far Eastern Archaeology. Since 1958, the Ngoc Lu bronze drum has always been preserved and displayed in the main exhibition system of the National Museum of History.

Ngoc Lu drum belongs to group A, type I Heger. It is the most beautiful, intact drum with the most balanced and harmonious shape among the Dong Son drums discovered. The decorative patterns are extremely rich, perfect and exquisite. In addition to geometric motifs, there are also rims and bands of orthographic patterns depicting real scenes of costumed parades, antiphonal singing, drumming, pounding rice, images of seasonal prayer houses, stilt houses, images of warships with warriors performing sacrificial rituals, images of animals such as deer, birds... Through that, we can see again part of the material and spiritual life, scientific thinking and the natural world at that time.

The Ngoc Lu bronze drum with the above-mentioned unique features is not only the highest expression of bronze casting technology but also a labor product, a typical work of art representing the intellectual level and great creative talent of the Dong Son people, a clear and concentrated expression of the Red River civilization and has become a symbol of the survival of the Lac Viet community.

Seal of "Treasure of Destiny" (Gold).Nguyen Dynasty, 8th year of Minh Mang, 1827.

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasures in 2015

The seal has a knob shaped like a coiled dragon. The back of the seal is engraved with two lines of Chinese characters: "Ten years old gold, weighing 223 taels and 6 coins - about 8.3 kg" and "Minh Menh bat nien thap nguyet cat nhat tao" (Casted on an auspicious day in October, year Minh Menh 8, 1827). The face of the seal is embossed with four characters: "Sac menh chi bao".

The seal was used to issue royal decrees to civil and military officials and to confer titles on gods and people. It is a unique artifact, symbolizing the power of the Nguyen Dynasty, and has special value in the collection of Nguyen Dynasty gold treasures currently kept at the National Museum of History.

Admire 18 National Treasures Announced for the First Time

Canh Thinh Drum (Bronze). Tay Son period, Canh Thinh era, 1800

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2012.

The Canh Thinh bronze drum is a unique artifact in the Vietnamese bronze drum complex. The drum's shape shows its uniqueness when it imitates the traditional leather drum style. The main decorative motif is embossed with the theme of the Four Sacred Animals, symbolizing a peaceful and prosperous country, a peaceful society, and the Dragon Horse carrying the River Map, the Divine Turtle carrying the Lac Thu, two original symbols of the I Ching - the philosophical thought of East Asians about the law of change.

Another special value of the Canh Thinh bronze drum is the documentation. The inscriptions engraved on the body indicate that the drum was cast in the fourth intercalary month of the 8th year of Canh Thinh under the Tay Son Dynasty (1800) at Chua Ca (Linh Ung Tu), also known as Chua Nanh, Ninh Hiep Commune, Gia Lam, Hanoi today. In particular, a 222-word inscription explaining the reason and purpose of casting the drum talks about a person in the commune, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loc, wife of the General Eunuch Giao Quan Cong, in the 2nd year of Vinh Huu under the reign of King Le Y Tong (1736), who contributed to the construction of Linh Ung Pagoda. In memory of her merit, the people in the commune contributed their efforts and money to cast the drum and other worship items to offer to the Buddha to be passed down, reminding future generations to always remember the merits of their ancestors.

Swan painted vase (Blue and white ceramic).Early Le Dynasty, 15th century

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2012

This is the largest and most intact vase in the collection of unique artifacts excavated from the Cu Lao Cham shipwreck, Hoi An city. The vase is tall, has bulging shoulders, and a tapered body towards the bottom, creating a slim, graceful look. The decorative motifs are divided into 7 bands covering the body from the mouth to the bottom. The main band of motifs occupies the largest space in the middle of the vase, depicting a landscape with 4 swans according to the story "Phi, Minh, Tuc, Thuc": one is flying, one is raising its neck to call, one is tucking its head into its wings to sleep, and the other is foraging. This is a play on words and borrowing the symbolic image of the ancients to convey wishes for advancement, a bright future, wealth, and abundance.

The Early Le Dynasty was a period of glorious development of ancient Vietnamese ceramic art. Ceramics of this period were not only rich in glazes, diverse in types and designs, but also had very vivid decorative patterns. Contemporary ceramic products affirmed their prestige and participated strongly in international trade exchanges.

Golden Seal "The Eternal Treasure of Dai Viet Kingdom, Nguyen Lord"Le Trung Hung period, Vinh Thinh era 5th year (1709), side 10.84cm x 10.84cm; 1.1cm thick, 6.3cm high. The seal is in the shape of a king, the knob is shaped like a lion playing with a ball, the left edge of the back of the seal is engraved with the Chinese characters "Ke bat thap kim, luc hot tu lang, tu tien tam phan" (translated as: Eight-year-old gold, weighs 6 ingots, 4 taels, 4 coins, 3 phan).

Seal of the Gate (Bronze).Tran Dynasty, Long Khanh year 5 (1377)

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2012

Discovered in 1962 in Huong Giang commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province. The seal is square, the base is made of three levels, the knob is shaped like a stone stele. On the right side of the back of the seal is engraved with the Chinese characters: "Mon ha san an" - the seal of the Mon ha hall. On the left side of the back of the seal is engraved with the words "Long Khanh ngu nien ngu nguyet nhi thap tam nhat tao" - made on May 23, Long Khanh 5, under the reign of King Tran Due Tong (reign: 1372 - 1377). The face of the seal is square, cast with 4 seal-style characters and the content of the words on the right side of the back of the seal "Mon ha san an".

The Mon Ha Hall was one of the highest central administrative agencies during the Tran Dynasty, established by King Tran Minh Tong (reign: 1314 - 1329) in the 2nd year of Khai Thai (1325) to replace the Hanh Khien Ty in the Quan Trieu Palace under the Noi Mat Vien. This was a close agency of the king, responsible for keeping the royal seal, transmitting the king's orders to the mandarins, receiving reports to the king and performing ceremonial tasks in the palace. The positions in this hall were all held by high-ranking mandarins. "Mon Ha Hall Seal" was used to stamp important administrative documents of the court starting from the reign of King Tran Phe De (reign: 1377 - 1388) onwards.

Up to now, there have not been many discoveries of bronze seals of Vietnamese feudal dynasties. “Mon ha san an” is the bronze seal with the clearest content and most specific date related to the history of the central administration of the Tran dynasty.

Van Ban Pagoda Bell (Bronze).Tran Dynasty, 13th - 14th century

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2013

It is the oldest bell, the largest and most majestic bell of Dai Viet civilization. The bell handle is attached with a double-headed dragon-shaped Bo Lao. The bell body is divided into 8 compartments separated by embossed lines. The bell mouth is embossed with double lotus petals. The bell has 6 knockers shaped like fully blooming lotus flowers.

On the body of the bell is an inscription in Chinese characters about those who contributed to the reclamation of the mountains and forests, the expansion of the land to build Van Ban Pagoda, the ascetic monk and the layman Dai O; those who donated land to the pagoda were the brave guard Nguyen Van Kip and his wife Chu Thi Trai and his brother-in-law Chu Lam. In particular, the inscription tells the origin of the bell, which was donated to the pagoda by the Left Boc Xa official. The inscription is also a message to future generations to make meritorious contributions to preserve the pagoda, not to let it be destroyed, and not to lack incense offerings. The profits from the donated land are reserved for offerings and death anniversaries.

The bell is a valuable source of documents for studying the history and culture of Vietnamese Buddhism in general and the Tran Dynasty in particular.

Brown Flower Ceramic:Tran Dynasty (13th-14th century) mouth diameter: 35cm; bottom diameter 34cm; height 57cm; Brown flower ceramic jar was discovered when digging a well at Tran Temple (Tuc Mac village, Loc Vuong ward, Nam Dinh city in 1972). The jar has a round, plump shape, solid block, typical of Tran Dynasty ceramics, wide mouth, cast iron frame, embossed with 2 layers of lotus petals.

Vo Canh Stele (Sand Stone).Champa culture. 3rd – 4th century.

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2013

This is the oldest stele in Southeast Asia. The stele is a vertical cylindrical block of stone. Sanskrit characters are engraved on three sides. This is the oldest remaining stele of the ancient Kingdom of Champa. The stele is engraved in ancient Sanskrit characters, providing valuable information about the history of the Pre-Kingdom Dynasty of Southern Champa. The inscription also shows the introduction and strong influence of Buddhism in Champa from early times.

Viet Khe boat grave

Dong Son culture, about 2000 - 2500 years ago.

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2013

This is a hollowed-out tree trunk coffin, the largest of all the hollowed-out tree trunk coffins, or boats, discovered in Vietnam. Inside the tomb were 109 burial objects, mainly bronze, including weapons, musical instruments, tools, and household items.

This is the largest boat tomb, with the most intact condition, containing many rare burial objects of Dong Son culture, and is a source of research documents on traditional crafts and the history of class formation in Dong Son society.

Nam Giao Beer (Stone).Le Trung Hung period, Vinh Tri year 4 (1679)

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasures in 2015

The stele is rectangular in shape with a semicircular forehead placed on a three-tiered rectangular base. The stele's forehead is carved with a pair of dragons facing the moon, surrounded by dragons, phoenixes, clouds, peonies, chrysanthemums, double-leafed bodhi bands and bell-shaped clouds. The stele's base is carved with reliefs of dragons, horses and flowers. The stele's surface is engraved with an inscription about the renovation and repair of the Nam Giao Chieu Su Palace.

The Nam Giao stele is one of the most valuable remaining relics of the Nam Giao Altar in Thang Long. It clearly reflects the historical significance of the Nam Giao Altar and the Nam Giao ceremony in Thang Long, the greatest ritual of the Ly - Tran - Le dynasties to worship Heaven and Earth to pray for favorable weather, national peace and prosperity.

Prison Diary

“Prison Diary” is a literary work consisting of 133 Chinese poems composed by Ho Chi Minh during his imprisonment by Chiang Kai-shek's government in Guangxi (China), 1942 - 1943.

Throughout “Prison Diary” is the image of the “great wisdom, great humanity, great courage” of communist prisoner Ho Chi Minh, always full of patriotism, strong will and a high determination to fight for freedom and independence of the nation.

Draft of "Call for National Resistance"

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2012

The artifact has special value, related to a major event of the country, closely associated with the life of President Ho Chi Minh. The “Call for National Resistance” not only has great historical significance, but also has humanistic value, and is valuable in the Vietnamese language. With two simple, easy-to-understand, sophisticated but heroic and full of spirit, the call has expressed the thoughts, will and feelings of the entire Vietnamese people entering the 9-year long resistance war against French colonialism.

The Revolutionary Path Book

Decision to recognize Vietnam National Treasure in 2012

“The Revolutionary Path” is a collection of lectures by comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc during his revolutionary activities in Guangzhou (China) from 1925 to 1927, secretly published by the Propaganda Department of the Association of Oppressed Peoples of East Asia and sent back to the country.

“The Revolutionary Path” is a creative application of Marxism-Leninism's theory on the struggle for national liberation associated with the proletarian revolution, the foundation for finding a new direction for the national liberation cause of the Vietnamese revolution and is considered the first political theory document of the Party, laying the ideological foundation for the path of the Vietnamese revolution.

According to VNN