Hundreds of antiques dating from the 2nd century show the cultural diversity and the life of the ancient Cham people.
Remnants of the Champa kingdom inside the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum, a room is dedicated to storing more than 100 Champa antiques dating from the 2nd to the 17th century, including 3 national treasures.
Champa is an ancient country of the Cham, exists along the central and southern coasts. The ancient Champa dynasty strongly developed politically and economically in the first centuries AD. This kingdom emerged thanks to close trade relations between Southeast Asia and India.
Many ancient brick temples are concentrated in Quang Nam and Binh Dinh provinces, as well as statues found in the ancient Cham land show that the Cham people are very interested in the two main religions of India: Buddhism and Hinduism.In addition to unique artifacts such as the famous Devi Huong Que statue, the collection of the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum also includes many rare bronze Buddha statues.
In the gallery there are 3 national treasures. The most prominent is the bronze statue Avalokitesvara, discovered in the early 20th century in Quang Binh. The statue weighs 35 kg, is 52 cm high, has a high bun with a crown touching the image of a sitting Buddha, carrying many ornaments. The statue has 4 hands, 2 front hands holding out lotus buds and nectar bottles.
Located next to it is the Dong Duong Buddha statue found by a French in Quang Nam in 1911, dating back to about 1,200 years. The statue is made of brass, 120 cm high and 120 kg in weight.
The statue has been displayed in many countries. In the exhibition of antiques in Southeast Asia in France, the statue was purchased with insurance of 5 million USD. In addition, the museum also displays living items and jewelry of the Cham people.
Nguyen Quang/Dân trí