A National Treasure () or a national precious object is a tangible cultural heritage or object handed down from the past with historical, cultural or scientific value of exceptional significance to the country of Vietnam. National treasures are deemed to be protected and preserved according to a special scheme by the Vietnamese Government. The government also earmark an adequate proportion of the State budget to purchase national treasure as well as investment in activities of protecting and promoting the values of these objects. The title national treasure is recognised by a decision from the Vietnamese Prime Minister after obtaining evaluation opinions of the National Council for Cultural Heritages.
History
The term national treasure was first mentioned in various articles of the first Law on Cultural Heritage passed by the National Assembly of Vietnam on 29 June 2001. However, there was not a clear definition or a set of criteria for determining a national treasure. In 2009, the Amendment of Law on Cultural Heritage Act presented a separate article specifically for the subject "national treasure". According to the Law, a national treasure of Vietnam have to meet all these requirements:
The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism specified the order of and procedures for recognising a national treasure, then the decision of granting the title national treasure comes from the Prime Minister of Vietnam with the consultation of National Council for Cultural Heritages. The first set of national treasure is officially designated in October 2012. Up until 2024, 12 sets of national treasures (294 artifacts) had been designated in a series of decrees signed by the Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam on behalf of Prime Minister. The different combination of treasures into sets only depends on the chronological order of nominations submitted by owners of the treasures, not related to the category or value of the treasures themselves. The quantities and designation dates of Vietnamese national treasures are:
Set 1 (signed on 1 October 2012) 30 national treasures Set 2 (signed on 30 December 2013) 37 national treasures Set 3 (signed on 14 January 2015) 12 national treasures Set 4 (signed on 23 December 2015) 25 national treasures Set 5 (signed on 22 December 2016) 14 national treasures Set 6 (signed on 25 December 2017) 24 national treasures
Set 7 (signed on 24 December 2018) 22 national treasures Set 8 (signed on 15 January 2020) 27 national treasures Set 9 (signed on 31 December 2020) 24 national treasures Set 10 (signed on 25 December 2021) 23 national treasures Set 11 (signed on 30 January 2023) 27 national treasures Set 12 (signed on 18 January 2024) 29 national treasures
Regulations
There are strict regulations related to obligation of the Vietnamese State and owners of national treasure regarding ownership, protection and exhibition abroad. National treasures shall be registered with competent state agencies in charge of culture. Government agencies which have information on registered national treasures must kept confidential at owner's request, provide with professional guidance on, and create conditions for protecting and promoting the values of treasures. When transferring the ownership of national treasures, their owners shall notify competent government agencies of new owners of these objects within 15 days after the transfer.
In 2016, under Decision No. 23/2016/QD-TTg, issued by the Prime Minister of Vietnam, items formally designated as national treasures can only be transported abroad under one of these circumstances: "To serve state-level diplomatic activities of the Party General Secretary, the President, the Prime Minister and the National Assembly Chairperson. "To promote the history, culture, land and people of Vietnam under special international cooperation programs. "To implement international cooperation plans on research and preservation of national treasures."
Transport of the treasures abroad for display, exhibition, research or preservation must adhere to article 44 of the Law on Cultural Heritage, which requires the following conditions: "Getting insured by recipients of vestiges, antiques and national precious object "Obtaining the Prime Minister's decisions permitting the bringing of national treasure abroad; or the Culture Minister's decisions permitting the bringing of vestiges and antiques abroad."
List Set 1 The first set of 30 national treasure was designated on 1 October 2012 by Decision No. 1426/QD-TTg signed by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan. No.NameDate/Period/CultureOwnerLocationPhoto1Ngọc Lũ bronze drumc. 2500–2000 Before Present (Đông Sơn culture)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi2Hoàng Hạ bronze drumc. 2500–2000 Before Present (Đông Sơn culture)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi3Đào Thịnh bronze jarc. 2500–2000 Before Present (Đông Sơn culture)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi4The bronze statue of a piggybacking and panpipe-playing couplec. 2500–2000 BP (Đông Sơn culture)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi5The bronze lampbase shaped as a kneeling manc. 2000–1700 BP (Đông Sơn culture)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi6Cảnh Thịnh bronze drum1800 (Tây Sơn dynasty)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi7Official bronze seal Môn Hạ Sảnh ấn1377 (Trần dynasty)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi8Blue and white ceramic vase with swan patterns 15th century (Lê dynasty)Vietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi9Revolutionary Road (book)1927 Work of Ho Chi MinhVietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi10Prison Diary (book)1942–1943 Work of Ho Chi MinhVietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi11A draft of the Call on the whole nation to carry out the resistance war1946 Handwritten draft of Ho Chi MinhVietnam National Museum of HistoryHanoi12A draft of the Call on fellow citizens and soldier of whole nation 17 July 1966 Handwritten draft of Ho Chi Minh's speech on the Voice of VietnamHo Chi Minh MuseumHanoi13President Ho Chi Minh's Testament 10 May 1965 – 19 May 1969 Original handwritten versionArchive Department of Central Committee Party OfficeHanoi14Đồng Dương Buddhist statue 8th–19th century (Champa culture)Ho Chi Minh City Museum of HistoryHo Chi Minh City15Devi Goddess statue of Hương Quế10th century (Champa culture)Ho Chi Minh City Museum of HistoryHo Chi Minh City16Vishnu statue 3rd–5th century (Óc Eo culture)Ho Chi Minh City Museum of HistoryHo Chi Minh City17Lợi Mỹ Buddha Statue 4th–6th century (Óc Eo culture)Ho Chi Minh City Museum of HistoryHo Chi Minh City18God Surya statue 6th–7th century (Óc Eo culture)Ho Chi Minh City Museum of HistoryHo Chi Minh City19Tara Bodhisattva statue 9th–early 10th century (Champa culture)Museum of Cham SculptureĐà Nẵng20Mỹ Sơn E1 altar7th century (Champa culture)Museum of Cham SculptureĐà Nẵng21Trà Kiệu altar 7th–8th century (Champa culture)Museum of Cham SculptureĐà Nẵng22Amitabha Buddha Statue 11th century (Lý dynasty)Phật Tích TempleTiên Du District, Bắc Ninh23Statue of Quan Âm with thousand eyes and hands c. 1656 (Revival Lê dynasty)Bút Tháp TempleThuận Thành, Bắc Ninh24The set of nine holy bronze cannons 1803–1804 (Nguyễn dynasty)Huế Monuments Conservation CentreImperial City of Huế, Huế25The Nine Tripod Cauldrons Nguyễn dynastyHuế Monuments Conservation CentreImperial City of Huế, Huế26The 37mm anti-aircraft gun1954 (Battle of Dien Bien Phu)Air Defence and Air Force MuseumHanoi27The MiG 21 F96 aircraft no. 5121 1972 (Operation Linebacker II)Vietnam Military History MuseumHanoi28Ho Chi Minh Campaign notebook 25 April–1 May 1975 (Ho Chi Minh Campaign)Museum of Military Zone 7Ho Chi Minh City29The T-54 tank no. 843 30 April 1975 (Liberation of Saigon)Vietnam Military History MuseumHanoi30The T-59 tank no. 390 30 April 1975 (Liberation of Saigon)Armored Forces MuseumHanoi
Set 2 The second set of 37 national treasures was designated on 30 December 2013 by Decision No. 2599/QD-TTg signed by Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam. No.NameDate/Period/CultureOwnerLocationPhoto1Hung Temple bronze drumĐông Sơn cultureHùng TempleViệt Trì, Phú Thọ Province2Cam Giang I bronze drumĐông Sơn cultureThanh Hóa Provincial MuseumThanh Hóa3Viet Khe boat graveĐông Sơn cultureNational Museum of Vietnamese HistoryHanoi4Hop Minh bronze jarĐông Sơn cultureYên Bái Provincial MuseumYên Bái5The copper belt buckleĐông Sơn cultureHùng TempleViệt Trì, Phú Thọ Province6Nui Nua Short swordĐông Sơn cultureThanh Hóa Provincial MuseumThanh Hóa7Xa Loi Thap Minh stele601Sui dynastyBắc Ninh Provincial MuseumBắc Ninh8Bao Ninh Sung Phuc temple steleLý dynastyBao Ninh Sung Phuc Buddhist templeChiêm Hóa District, Tuyên Quang Province9Sùng Thiện Diên Linh stele 大 越 國 李 家 第 四 帝 崇 善 延 齡 塔 碑Lý dynastyLong Doi Son Buddhist templeDuy Tiên District, Tuyên Quang Province10Sung Khanh temple steleTrần dynastySung Khanh Buddhist templeVị Xuyên District, Hà Giang Province11Vinh Lang steleLê dynastyLam Kinh historic siteThọ Xuân District, Thanh Hóa Province12The bell of Binh Lam TempleTrần dynastyBinh Lam Buddhist templeVị Xuyên District, Hà Giang Province13The bell of Van Ban TempleTrần dynastyNational Museum of Vietnamese HistoryHanoi14The grand bell of Thien Mu TempleNguyễn lords eraThien Mu Buddhist templeHuế15Stone Dragon (or Snake Deity statue)Lý dynastyLê Văn Thịnh TempleGia Bình District, Bắc Ninh Province16Amitabha Buddha StatueLý dynastyNgô Xa Buddhist TempleÝ Yên District, Nam Định Province17Quan Âm of Hoi Ha pagoda statueLê dynastyVietnam National Museum of Fine ArtsHanoi18Three statues of Buddhas in the three timesLê dynastyLinh Ung Buddhist templeThuận Thành District, Bắc Ninh Province19Statue of Queen Trịnh Thị Ngọc TrúcRevival Lê dynastyVietnam National Museum of Fine ArtsHanoi20Set of ceramic lamp base and incense burnerMạc dynastyNam Định Provincial MuseumNam Định21Bronze cauldronRevival Lê dynastyThanh Hóa Provincial MuseumThanh Hóa22Three Cannons Bảo quốc an dân đại tướng quânNguyễn dynastyHà Tĩnh Provincial MuseumHà Tĩnh23Vo Canh steleChampa cultureNational Museum of Vietnamese HistoryHanoi24Statue of Avalokitesvara Hoài NhơnChampa cultureMuseum of Vietnamese HistoryHo Chi Minh City25Statue of Avalokitesvara Đại HữuChampa cultureMuseum of Vietnamese HistoryHo Chi Minh City26Animal figure of Dốc ChùaĐồng Nai culture (1,000 BC – 0)Bình Dương Provincial MuseumThủ Dầu Một27Buddha statue of Bình HòaÓc Eo CultureMuseum of Vietnamese HistoryHo Chi Minh City28Buddha statue of Sa ĐécÓc Eo CultureMuseum of Vietnamese HistoryHo Chi Minh City29Vishnu statueÓc Eo CultureĐồng Tháp Provincial MuseumCao Lãnh30Vishnu statueÓc Eo CultureLong An Provincial MuseumTân An31Durga Goddess statueÓc Eo CultureMuseum of Vietnamese HistoryHo Chi Minh City32Avalokitesvara statueÓc Eo CultureMuseum of Vietnamese HistoryHo Chi Minh City33Collection of golden artifactsÓc Eo CultureLong An Provincial MuseumTân An34Vườn Xuân Trung Nam BắcPainting "Spring garden of Central-South-North (of Viet Nam)"1969–1989Artist Nguyễn Gia TríHo Chi Minh City Museum of Fine ArtsHo Chi Minh City35Hai thiếu nữ và em béPainting "Two young girls and a kid" 1944Artist Tô Ngọc VânVietnam National Museum of Fine ArtsHanoi36Em ThúyPainting "Little Sister Thuy"1943Artist Trần Văn CẩnVietnam National Museum of Fine ArtsHanoi37Kết nạp Đảng ở Điện Biên PhủPainting "Granting Party membership in Dien Bien Phu"1956Artist Nguyễn SángVietnam National Museum of Fine ArtsHanoi
Set 3 The third set of 12 national treasure was designated on 14 January 2015 by Decision No. 53/QD-TTg signed by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.