On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Museum building’s inauguration (1932 - 2022) and the celebration of Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23, 2022), the thematic exhibition titled “From the Museum Building of EFEO to the Vietnam National Museum of History” was launched at the Vietnam National Museum of History (VNMH) on the morning of November 18, 2022. At the same time, the ceremony to receive the artifacts returned to Vietnam by the United States of America was also held at VNMH.
Panorama of the opening ceremony
Participants of the opening ceremony included Prof.Dr. Luu Tran Tieu - Chairman of the National Council of Cultural Heritage; Ms. Pam S. Devolder - Counselor of Information and Cultural, U.S Embassy in Vietnam; Mr. Le Thanh Liem - Director of the Department of Legal Affairs, Mr. Pham Dinh Phong - Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Mr. Tran Nhat Hoang - Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism); Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Binh - Deputy Director of Cultural Diplomacy and Unesco Affairs, Ms. Ho Huong Giang - Deputy Director of Department of American Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs); Dr. Nguyen Van Doan - Director of VNMN; representatives of museums and news agencies in Hanoi.
Delegates attending the opening ceremony
Dr. Nguyen Van Doan - Director of VNMH giving a speech at the opening ceremony
The event began with the ceremony to receive artifacts returned to Vietnam by the United States. On behalf of VNMH, Dr. Nguyen Van Doan received the group of artifacts from Ms. Pam S.Devolder in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all the delegates attending the ceremony. The artifacts include a stone axe of the Late Neolithic (BC 4,500 - 3,500), three bronze axes and one ceramic pot of Dong Son culture; three stone crocodile figurines of 1st - 2nd century and two bronze pipes from the 17th - 18th century. These are among the 7,000 illegally artifacts that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized in 2014.
Mr. Nguyen Van Doan - Director of VNMH receiving artifacts from Ms. Pam S. Devolder - Information and Cultural Counselor, US Embassy in Vietnam
Artifacts returned to Vietnam by the United States of Americ
Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Van Doan emphasized: “The exhibition introduces documents and images associated with the 90-year history of the building designed and built by French architects. This typical French architectural work has continued to be preserved and renovated through generations in order to promote its value effectively as well as better serve the domestic and foreign visitors.”
Delegates in ribbon cutting ceremony
Delegates visiting the exhibition
The exhibition will be opened to the public until March 2023.
EN: Thu Hien