Van Mieu steles endangered by human touch
Thanh Nien News, 01 Mar 2010

Eighty-two stone steles at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature – first National University) in Hanoi are in danger of being irreparably damaged because of the large number of people who are touching them.

Temple official Nguyen Hai said last Thursday that more than 70,000 people visited the place over four days of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival from February 14-17.

“People visiting the Temple of Literature during Tet has for long been a cultural feature.

Over $1.2 million to preserve Thang Long Royal Citadel
Vietnam Net Bridge, 26 February 2010

The Hanoi authorities have approved a $1.2 million project to preserve the Thang Long royal citadel in Hanoi, funded by the UNESCO.

This project will be carried out by the Centre for Conservation of Co Loa Relic and Hanoi Ancient Citadel.

From January 2010 to January 2013, the project will research and evaluate the values of this site and suggest measures to preserve the site.

Dong Son style swords on display at the Thanh Hoa provincial museum

Journey through history with antique swords
Viet Nam News, 26 February 2010

An exhibition of 99 ancient swords recently opened in Ha Noi, offering visitors a chance to learn more about history’s most popular weapon.

The swords were selected from the private 300-sword collection owned by collector Duong Phu Hien.

Four generations of Hien’s family have maintained and added to the collection. “By collecting and preserving ancient Vietnamese artefacts, especially those relating to the defence of our nation, every member of my family has demonstrated their love for the country and its magnanimous history,” Hien said.

The exhibition features a large array of swords, including 37 that were made in Viet Nam. The others came from different countries, including China, Japan, and the UK.

Ancient objects found at former Hoa Lu capital
VOV News, 23 February 2010

A host of ancient objects dating back to the 10th -18th century have been discovered at the Hoa Lu ancient capital relic in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

The objects made in the Dinh (968-980), Ly (1009-1225), Tran (1225-1400) and Le (1418-1789) dynasties include square floor tiles with lotus and phoenix patterns, bowls, dishes, jars and other pottery items. They were found after archeologists had excavated an area of over 500 sq. metres at the relic site.

‘Arts of Ancient Viet Nam’
LA Times, 21 February 2010

The show, which runs through May 2, is remarkable for its scale, scope and beauty. The more than 100 objects, which have never appeared together before in an exhibit (not even in Vietnam), span almost 2,000 years. Because the exhibit spans such a wide period and includes different cultures, it is hard to point to a defining Vietnamese aesthetic. Rather, each of the four cultures on display have borrowed iconography and expressions from different parts of the world.

Organized chronologically, the show begins with two contemporary early cultures, the Dong Son and the Sa Huynh, who lived, respectively, in the north and the central-south part of the country until the 2nd century AD.

Like many cultures that appear to us centuries after their demise, the Sa Huynh are best viewed through their burial objects — in this case, large, upright clay jars that held the dead along with offerings such as weapons and pottery — and objects such as Chinese mirrors found at Sa Huynh sites suggest that the culture was a center for trade and exchange.

The most impressive remnants from the Dong Son culture are the large bronze drums on display, intricately patterned with abstract bands and images of people, which, along with chicken-headed ceramics, reveal a strong Chinese influence.

Archaeological evidence of Thang Long Royal Citadel deserves to be recognised by UNESCO
Voice of Vietnam News, 20 February 2010

Archaeologists from China, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia and Indonesia have praised the results of the Thang Long Royal Citadel archeological research project as being of great value.
A series of International seminars and lectures given by Asian archaeologists on the excavation and protection of the world’s cultural heritage and relic sites are taking place this month to mark the 1000th Thang Long-Hanoi anniversary and the 1,300th anniversary of the establishment of Heijokyo Citadel on Japan’s Nara Imperial Palace Site.

Over the past eight years, Vietnam and Japan have carried out research on relics and antiquities excavated at the Thang Long Royal Citadel. Asian archaeologists have praised lectures on the results of archaeological research at the royal citadel delivered by Dr Tong Trung Tin, Head of the Vietnam Institute of Social Science and Director of the Thang Long Royal Citadel project and Pro. Kunikazu Ueno from the Archaeological Research Centre of Nara University as valuable research projects that need to be recognised by UNSECO.

Tales of three different Southeast Asian museums
The Reporter, 18 February 2010

Trips last month to three different Southeast Asian museums yielded three highly different experiences and impressions of how a nation’s treasures can be handled and cared for — or, to my eyes and mind, mishandled and endangered.

…

Still, a bigger shock awaited me in the museum basement, where historic ceramics are kept. Damp air and the smell of mold filled the low-ceilinged galleries. Walls and display cases showed signs of water leaks and damage. While it rained the day I visited, January is not a monsoon month in Vietnam, so I could only imagine the situation would worsen over time unless changes are made — and soon.

Ancient institution of learning continues to educate
Saigon Giai Phong, 14 February 2010

Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) can be found in many provinces in Vietnam, like Nghe An and Bac Ninh, but the most prominent of them all is the one located in Hanoi, which was also home to Vietnam’s first university.

Built in 1070 south of Thang Long Imperial Citadel during the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong, the Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) was a place for worship of Confucius and his disciples. Five years later, the King organized the first national examination here to select talented people.

In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong established the Quoc Tu Giam (National College) at the Van Mieu to educate the children of court mandarins.

Over time, Van Mieu and Quoc Tu Giam experienced restorations, especially an overhaul in 1438 during the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, a peaceful and prosperous period with many prominent cultural achievements.

Ancient artifacts displayed in Hanoi
VOV News, 11 February 2010

An exhibition opened in Hanoi on February 11 to display 100 antiques with some dating back to the first century.
The display will lift the curtain on various activities of Hanoian antiques collectors towards the grand celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, said Dao Phan Long, Chairman of the Thang Long-Hanoi Pottery and Antiquities Researchers and Collectors.

The items on show, collected and preserved by 14 private collectors in Hanoi, were made of all materials like wood, bronze and pottery.