The atmosphere at Can Tho City Museum became exciting when many students and teachers in the area came to participate in the program “Museum History Lesson” with the theme “Learning about National Treasures in Can Tho City”. Many people also came to visit and listen to the introduction of the artifacts on display here.
In particular, students and visitors can learn about four groups of national treasures that are being preserved at the museum, including Nhon Thanh molds, Nhon Thanh ceramic vases, Nhon Thanh Buddha statues, Nhon Thanh wooden linga - yoni, all belonging to the Oc Eo Culture.
According to Can Tho City Museum, the Nhon Thanh mold set is the city's first national treasure, recognized by the Prime Minister on December 25, 2017. This is a typical invention of the goldsmith profession - representing the indigenous handicraft industry that was very developed during the Oc Eo culture period, fully demonstrating the process of making metal jewelry, from sketching, creating and completing the molds, to the metallurgical process, pouring the mold and producing the finished product of the Phu Nam residents.
Nhon Thanh ceramic vase is an artifact of special value, combining the cultural and religious exchange of foreign (Indian) with the indigenous culture of Oc Eo residents in the middle of the 1st century; at the same time, reflecting the unique characteristics of the Oc Eo Cultural development period in the 5th century.
The Nhon Thanh Buddha statue is carved from a block of dark brown wood, in the tribhanga position (standing with the hips tilted to the right) on a two-tiered lotus platform with soft, graceful lines. This is a unique artifact of special value, representing the art of creating Buddhist sculptures in wood in the Oc Eo culture in the Mekong Delta in particular and the South in general. On December 24, 2018, the Buddha statue was recognized as a national treasure by the Prime Minister.
The Nhon Thanh wooden linga - yoni is the first and only artifact found in the Oc Eo Culture in the South in particular, and Southeast Asia in general. The artifact is very unique with wooden material and a different design compared to the original - a representative of improvisation, variation,...
Ms. Nguyen Le Thu Thuan - Principal of Tran Hung Dao Secondary School, Ninh Kieu District - commented that the special thing here is that students get to study in a historical space with school teachers and museum staff - people who have deep knowledge of cultural heritage, especially local national treasures, helping them to acquire more in-depth knowledge.
Students will be propagandists for their families and friends about national treasures that need to be preserved, promoting their full cultural values in line with the spirit of the Ministry of Education and Training, which is to integrate cultural heritage to convey to students the spirit of patriotism and enhance the value of the nation's cultural heritage.
According to Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho City, Truong Cong Quoc Viet, Can Tho currently has 4 national treasures; 38 ranked historical and cultural relics; 6 intangible cultural heritages included in the national list by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In recent times, the City Museum has been doing a good job of managing, preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage.
