For the first time, the public has the opportunity to admire national treasures being kept at public and private museums in the city, gathered in a solemn and profound exhibition space.
Thereby, vividly recreating the cultural and historical journey of Vietnam from the Dong Son, Sa Huynh, Oc Eo periods to Champa artifacts, Nguyen dynasty, revolution and modern art, reflecting the diverse flow of the fertile Southern land.
Before the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhut, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City chaired a press meeting, sharing unique highlights of the exhibition.
“Through the exhibition, the city hopes to spread the value of heritage to the community, arouse patriotism, national pride and encourage creativity and integration in the new era. This is also a preparation step for the journey to discover and recognize more national treasures in the future,” Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhut emphasized.
Typical cultural - artistic - historical imprints
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City, the city currently has 17 National Treasures, which are being preserved at 4 units: Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History (12 artifacts), Ho Chi Minh City Museum (2 artifacts), Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts (2 paintings) and one artifact belonging to the private collection of Pham Gia Chi Bao.
The treasures span a wide range of ages, materials and artistic styles, reflecting the cultural depth and timeless creativity of the Vietnamese people. These are all heritages that demonstrate sophisticated crafting techniques, indigenous artistic thinking, and religious and historical values associated with the country's cultural development.
Typical of these are the national treasures of Buddhist and Hindu art of the Phu Nam - Oc Eo culture (1st-7th century) and Champa culture (2nd-17th century) developed long ago in the South and Central regions of Vietnam, including: Dong Duong Buddha statue (dating from the 8th-9th century); Devi Goddess statue (10th century); Hoai Nhon Avalokitesvara statue (8th-9th century); Dai Huu Avalokitesvara statue (10th century); Vishnu god statue (2nd-5th century); Surya god statue (6th-7th century); Durga goddess statue (7th-8th century); Avalokitesvara statue (8th-9th century); Sa Dec Buddha statue (4th century); Binh Hoa Buddha statue (4th-6th century); Loi My Buddha statue (4th-6th century); Son Tho Buddha statue (6th-7th century).
These are artifacts from the collection of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History, recognized as National Treasures in 2012, 2013 and 2018, demonstrating both the historical, cultural and religious values of ethnic groups and the aesthetic values of contemporary indigenous techniques in the past, contributing to enriching the treasure trove of Vietnamese cultural heritage.
The two treasures of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum are the bronze seal “Luong Tai Hau chi an” (dated 1833, Nguyen Dynasty) - representing the administrative power of the feudal period and the printing mold “Treasury bill with face value of 5 Dong” (dated 1947) - a rare artifact marking a historical period of the revolutionary financial - monetary sector. The artifacts were recognized as National Treasures in 2020 and 2018 respectively.
Meanwhile, two modern paintings recognized as National Treasures are: “Spring Garden of Central, South and North” by Nguyen Gia Tri (made from 1969-1989), representing the pinnacle of Vietnamese lacquer art, and “Young people in the citadel” by Nguyen Sang (sketched in 1967, completed in 1978), reflecting the revolutionary spirit of the anti-American resistance war. The two works are artifacts of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, recognized as National Treasures in 2013 and 2017, respectively.
Notably, the most recent artifact recognized as a National Treasure (in 2024) is a ceramic pot from the Dong Son culture, dating back about 2,500-2,000 years ago. This is a rare artifact, kept in the private collection of Mr. Pham Gia Chi Bao (actor Chi Bao), contributing to enriching the picture of the country's archaeological heritage.
Treasures are “awakened” in a completely safe space
The special theme “National Treasures - Heritage Masterpieces in Ho Chi Minh City” will be on display from June 29 to August 10 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History. The entire space is designed to meet museum standards, ensuring absolute safety for artifacts while also serving the public’s viewing needs.
Sharing about the work of ensuring security and safety for national treasures on display for a long time, Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History said: “The treasures are arranged in tempered glass cabinets or specialized glass frames, depending on the size. The display system is designed to ensure two parallel requirements: Absolute safety for the artifacts and meeting the aesthetic and lighting standards for visitors”.
The entire exhibition area is equipped with a 24/7 camera surveillance system; 2-3 security guards are on duty at all times, using walkie-talkies to communicate promptly when necessary. At the same time, the Museum closely coordinates with the local police force, establishing a communication line to ensure the highest level of security. All procedures for preserving and displaying artifacts are strictly implemented in accordance with current professional regulations.
According to Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, the “National Treasures” thematic exhibition room is located right in the Octagon Room - the central area of the Museum. This space gathers all 15 national treasures currently belonging to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum and treasures of the private collection of Pham Gia Chi Bao. Next to it, the Organizing Committee arranged two interactive screens to display two paintings from the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts (because the original paintings are large in size, they cannot be moved to the exhibition area).
According to the Law on Cultural Heritage 2024: “National Treasures are relics and antiques of special and rare value, typical of the country in terms of history, culture and science ”. In addition, National Treasures are also associated with symbolic stories and intangible cultural elements of profound significance. They are not only valuable heritages but also reflect the delicate aesthetic sense and skillful crafting techniques of the ancients.
As of 2025, Vietnam has 327 artifacts and groups of artifacts recognized by the Prime Minister as National Treasures. Of which, Ho Chi Minh City has 17 National Treasures. Although not many in quantity, they are rich in materials, diverse in origin, and contain different historical and cultural periods from ancient to modern times.
The first time these treasures appear together in a thematic exhibition space in Ho Chi Minh City is a special opportunity for the public to get closer to the heritage. This is not only an activity to honor historical - cultural - artistic values, but also a form of vivid heritage education , evoking national pride, especially for the younger generation.
The activity also affirms the important role of Ho Chi Minh City in preserving and promoting the value of national heritage in the period of integration and development.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/tinh-hoa-hoi-tu-va-tieng-vong-van-hoa-viet-147553.html
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