The Hoang Ha bronze drum is one of 16 national treasured being displayed at the National Museum of History through May. Unearthed in Hanoi in 1937, the drum recalls ancient life in Vietnam in carvings of daily life, sailing and the execution of prisoners. The drum is one of the most beautiful artifacts of the Dong Son culture, which spanned between 700 and 100 BC. |
The Dao Thinh bronze jar features carvings of four couples having sex on the lid, reflecting the importance of fertility and reproduction to the ancient Vietnamese people, who relied mostly on rice farming. |
A Dong Son bronze statue of one man carrying a trumpet player on his back. |
A bronze oil lamp from the Dong Son culture. |
The Viet Khe tomb boat was carved from a tree during the Dong Son age. The boat was discovered among 109 burial artifacts including weapons, musical instruments and work tools. Ancient Vietnamese believed that each death marks the beginning of a new life. The belief remains central to the culture today. |
The Vo Canh stone stele is the oldest such item recovered in Southeast Asia and features cravings that depict the history of the Cham people. |
The bell of the Van Ban Buddhist Pagoda in northern Vietnam is the biggest and oldest of its kind. The bell itself dates back to the 13th century, during the Dai Viet (Great Viet) era, when Vietnam had expelled its invaders. |
A royal bronze seal from 1377; only a few such seals have ever been recovered in Vietnam. |
A 15th century vase recovered from the wreck of a ship that sank off the coast of Hoi An. |
A ceramic pot that belonged to the royal family during the Tran Dynasty, between 1226 and 1400. |
This stele was carved in 1679 and played an important role in the Nam Giao Offering Ritual, a ceremony by which Vietnamese kings prayed for good weather, peace and prosperity. |
The Canh Thinh bronze drum was cast in 1800 and has no replica. |
This gold seal was cast in 1709 and remained an heirloom in the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam's last ruling family. |
Another gold seal cast in 1827 to stamp documents that recognized mandarins and honored people for great achievements. |
The original copy of the 133 poems Ho Chi Minh wrote between 1942 and 1943 while imprisoned in Guangxi. |
A collection of lectures Ho Chi Minh read during revolutionary campaigns in Guangzhou between 1925 and 1927. |
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