To make national treasures worthy of heritage

Ceremony to announce the decision to recognize the Binh Da lithophone collection as a national treasure. Photo: Van Thanh

It is also the pride of Dong Nai people about a land rich in cultural heritage.

Thousand-year-old national treasures

The Binh Da Lithophone Collection, the Long Giao Bronze Qua Collection, the Long Giao Bronze Pangolin Statue and the Binh Hoa Vishnu Statue are priceless treasures, unique heritages, containing typical historical - cultural - scientific values ​​of the nation. These are the scientific assessments of domestic and foreign researchers over the past decades.

Pride always goes hand in hand with responsibility. If national treasures want to be preserved and promoted well, there needs to be immediate efforts from Dong Nai Museum and close coordination from all relevant departments and sectors.

In the course of human history, the ancient inhabitants of Dong Nai in the prehistoric period - the New Stone Age - had made great strides in development. Besides the creative tools for hunting and gathering, jewelry, prehistoric people also had a simple spiritual life with natural sounds originating from stone materials. Which we call lithophone. The discovery of 52 lithophone bars/sections at the Binh Da archaeological site (Bien Hoa city) dating back to about 3,180 ± 50 years ago, is living evidence of the ancient inhabitants living along the Dong Nai river who knew how to make and enjoy music at a certain level. Scientists believe that the technique of creating lithophone bars is a rudimentary but meticulous and elaborate technique of chiseling, making the stone bars of different thicknesses, contributing to the creation of high and low sounds, resonating when struck - an outstanding invention in Vietnamese folk music. Binh Da lithophone collection was recognized as a national treasure in 2023.

National treasure collection of Binh Da lithophone. Photo: Xuan Nam

In the Bronze Age, the ancient people of Dong Nai created a rather brilliant early Bronze and Iron Culture along with other cultural centers in Vietnam such as the Sa Huynh Culture in the Central region and the Dong Son Culture in the North. The evidence is that in 1982, people accidentally discovered more than 30 bronze blades on the slope of Hill 57, Long Giao Commune, Cam My District. The age of the Long Giao bronze blades was determined to be in the second half of the first millennium BC. Although it was a type of weapon with high long-range damage, the bronze "blades" discovered in Long Giao were quite diverse in size, from small and short to long and large; very beautiful in shape, both sides were richly decorated with simple circular or spiral patterns, geometric lines folded into triangles or sawtooth shapes, short parallel lines like bamboo spokes or striped dots... demonstrating the creative thinking and highly developed bronze casting techniques of prehistoric people. The Long Giao bronze statue collection was recognized as a national treasure in 2021.

The Long Giao bronze pangolin statue, also known as the Long Giao bronze statue, was discovered in 1985 at Hill 57, Long Giao town, Cam My district, and is also a typical cultural product of the ancient metal age in Dong Nai, dating back to around the 2nd-1st century BC. Currently, the Long Giao bronze pangolin statue is a unique artifact in Vietnam. The vivid and realistic sculpture resembles the pangolin living in the wild, the statue is relatively large in size, and the bronze casting technique is quite sophisticated. This is living evidence of the brilliant development period of Dong Nai's prehistoric civilization. The Long Giao bronze pangolin statue was recognized as a national treasure in 2024.

National treasures collection: Long Giao bronze statue, Long Giao bronze pangolin statue. Photo: Xuan Nam

Entering the Prehistoric period, the land of Dong Nai, belonging to the kingdoms of Phu Nam and Chenla, was also strongly influenced by Indian culture, creating brilliant achievements of the Phu Nam - Oc Eo civilization. The statue of Vishnu Binh Hoa was discovered and salvaged from the Dong Nai riverbed, dating back to around the 7th-8th century AD, and is one of the clear evidences for the development of thinking and the level of creativity in sculpture art at a new level of the ancient residents of Dong Nai. The statue of Vishnu Binh Hoa is also a unique and sacred religious product of the ancients. The statue of Vishnu Binh Hoa was recognized as a national treasure in 2021.

Promoting the heritage

Each treasure crystallizes within it a historical and cultural story of thousands of years. What to do to keep the stories of treasures from sleeping and to make them come alive in contemporary life? This is always the question and concern of those working in conservation/museums today.

National treasure, statue of Vishnu Binh Hoa. Photo: Xuan Nam

Dong Nai Museum is currently the place to preserve national treasures, including 3 treasures: the Long Giao bronze Qua collection, Binh Da stone instrument and Long Giao bronze Pangolin statue on permanent display in the Prehistory room and 1 treasure, the statue of Vishnu Binh Hoa on display in the Dong Nai room from the beginning of the Christian era to the 15th century, but without the introduction of the tour guide, visitors would not know that it is a national treasure. Because it is arranged deep inside and placed together with many other artifacts. Just observing with the eyes, one can see that the technical conditions for displaying and preserving these 4 national treasures are still lacking; because in fact, Dong Nai Museum does not have a dedicated exhibition room for national treasures.

Although, since the artifacts were recognized as national treasures, a number of propaganda, promotion and thematic exhibition activities have been carried out, but perhaps they are still few compared to the great value of the heritage. In 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued the Project on Protection, Preservation and Promotion of the Value of National Treasures in Dong Nai Province for the period 2024-2030. This is an important legal basis and favorable conditions for Dong Nai Museum to develop and implement a plan to protect, preserve and promote the effectiveness of national treasures. But the urgent task at this time is to soon establish a separate national treasure gallery with full protection and preservation regimes that meet standards, with synchronous and attractive content and display forms. Arrange a warehouse dedicated to preserving national treasures with a system of insulated cabinets, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, security equipment, fire prevention and fighting equipment, temperature, humidity, lighting conditions, etc. that meet standards. Develop a plan for high-tech preservation of national treasures periodically to prevent deterioration and increase their longevity. Promote the organization of traditional art performances, experiential activities, and interactions associated with national treasures at the museum for the public to participate in; send specialized staff to study special preservation techniques to be able to handle and preserve national treasures. Train the team of interpreters with in-depth knowledge about national treasures, in order to better serve visitors and researchers, etc. Only then can the museum fulfill its important function of educating and popularizing science to the public.

A national treasure is only truly “alive” when it is not only a symbol of a glorious past but also a source of inspiration, a link connecting generations in the flow of history and national culture.

Xuan Nam

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202504/de-bao-vat-quoc-gia-xung-tam-di-san-18624be/