Stone xylophone - a thousand-year-old treasure

The first known set of ancient Vietnamese stone xylophones is the Nduk Liêng Krăk set, discovered in 1949 in Đắk Lắk . It consists of 11 pieces, dating back approximately 3,000 years, and is currently on display at the Museum of Man in Paris (France).

The second set of stone musical instruments was recovered by an American soldier in the Central Highlands in 1956 and brought back to New York (USA) for display. Since then, archaeologists have discovered many more sets of stone musical instruments in the Central Highlands and South Central regions. In particular, Lam Dong province alone has discovered 12 sets of stone musical instruments, accounting for two-thirds of the ancient stone musical instruments ever found nationwide.

With its exceptional historical and cultural value, the stone xylophone is considered a thousand-year-old treasure, vividly reflecting the rich spiritual life and skillful craftsmanship of people in the early stages of history. On September 12th, the People's Committee of Lam Dong province held a ceremony to announce the Prime Minister 's Decision recognizing the Dak Son Stone Xylophone as a National Treasure. The recognition of the Dak Son Stone Xylophone as a national treasure is of great significance for the preservation and promotion of the value of this unique ancient cultural artifact in Lam Dong.

The People's Army Newspaper presents images of some ancient stone musical instruments in Lam Dong province:

The Dak Son stone xylophone, discovered in 2014 in Nam Xuan commune, Krong No district, former Dak Nong province (now Dak Sak commune, Lam Dong province), consists of 16 pieces and has been recognized as a National Treasure. It is currently on display at the Lam Dong Provincial Museum.

The B'Lao stone xylophone, discovered in 1979 in Bu Do commune, Loc Bac commune, Bao Lam district, former Lam Dong province (now Bao Lam 5 commune, Lam Dong province), consists of 6 bars, 3 of which have been lost and are currently stored at the Vietnam Institute of Music.

The stone xylophone, collected by collector Nguyen Ngoc An in 2016 in Gia Bac commune, Di Linh district, former Lam Dong province (now Son Dien commune, Lam Dong province), consists of 20 pieces and is currently on display at the Mui Ne Museum of Ancient Artifacts, Lam Dong province.

The Dinh Lac stone xylophone, discovered in 1997 in Dinh Lac commune, Di Linh district, former Lam Dong province (now Bao Thuan commune, Lam Dong province), consists of 12 pieces and is currently on display at the Lam Dong Provincial Museum.

The Son Dien stone xylophone, discovered in 2003 in Son Dien commune, Di Linh district, former Lam Dong province (now Son Dien commune, Lam Dong province), consists of 19 pieces and is currently on display at the Lam Dong Provincial Museum.