The dispatch sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province has assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to select artifacts that meet the guiding criteria to prepare a dossier to propose recognition of national treasures in the 13th phase, 2024.
Up to now, the assigned agency has completed the dossier to propose recognition as a national treasure for the Kim Bao artifact "Hoang De Chi Bao".
The People's Committee of Bac Ninh province requested the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to review and report to the Artifact Appraisal Council and Artifact Records, and submit to the Prime Minister for recognition of the 13th national treasure in 2024 for the above artifact.
The Emperor's Golden Seal is currently on display at the Nam Hong Royal Museum (Tu Son City, Bac Ninh). The seal is 10.4 cm high, weighs 10.78 kg, has a square face, and measures 13.8 x 13.7 cm. The base of the seal is printed with the words "Emperor's Treasure" (Emperor's Treasure).
According to the book "Kham dinh Dai Nam hoi dien su le", the golden seal was used for public and political activities of the Nguyen Dynasty such as festivals, granting grace, pardoning, inspecting localities, and issuing royal decrees to foreign countries. In particular, the golden seal Hoang De chi bao is the largest, most beautiful, precious and important golden seal of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Artifacts associated with many important historical milestones of the nation.
On the afternoon of August 30, 1945, after announcing his abdication, King Bao Dai handed over the "Hoang De Chi Bao" seal - selected from 200 seals of various types kept at Can Chanh Palace and the Royal Office, along with the sword that King Khai Dinh (reigned from 1916 to 1925) handed over to the revolutionary government at Ngo Mon Gate.
Historian Tran Huy Lieu received the seal and sword and sent them to Hanoi before President Ho Chi Minh read the declaration of independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945.
In December 1946, the French colonialists reoccupied Hanoi, and the artifacts were hidden in a house in Nghia Do village - which used to be a Viet Minh printing factory. The house was destroyed in 1947. In February 1952, a French battalion led by Battalion Commander Toce Raymond dug up the foundation of the house to collect broken bricks and discovered two boxes containing the seals and swords.
In the same year, France presented two artifacts to former Emperor Bao Dai.
In 1982, the former king married Frenchwoman Monique Baudot. Before his death in August 1997, he left a will, bequeathing all his assets in France, including the seal, to his wife. Monique Baudot died in 2021, after which her heirs auctioned off her assets.
On November 18, 2023, the gold seal was officially repatriated after more than a year of negotiation, discussion and implementation of related legal procedures between Vietnamese and French partners.
Businessman Nguyen The Hong, owner of the Nam Hong Royal Museum, spent 6.1 million Euros (more than 153 billion VND) to buy the seal, under the sponsorship of the Vietnamese Government and ministries, branches and agencies.
Currently, Bac Ninh province has 18 artifacts and groups of artifacts recognized as national treasures.
