Thousand-year old jade statues will be displayed in Hanoi Museum on August 2. Entitled Vietnamese Antique Jade, the collection includes more than 140 items that are more than a thousand years old.

Most of the items in the collection came from the royal treasure of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last monarchy in Vietnam. The royal family gave the artifacts to the Vietnamese government in 1945.

The historical jade collection includes jewelry, tools, royal seals, Buddha statues, swords and paintings studded with gems. According to the museum’s assistant director Dr. Nguyen Dinh Chien, the jade pieces were part of a collection owned by the Louis Finot Museum before 1954. In fact the showcase in ${bigcity_Hanoi:"Hanoi"} Museum is just a small part of a bigger collection that includes thousands of other more artifacts.

A conference was held at the museum last July 25 regarding the jade pieces. The rest of the collection will be showcased soon to honor the historical jade items.