Unique national treasures: the Lang Vac bronze drum and the Ma Nhai stele.

The Lang Vac bronze drum collection and the Ma Nhai stele have recently been recognized as national treasures.

Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh recently signed Decision No. 236/QD-TTg dated February 3, 2026, on the recognition of national treasures (14th batch). This batch includes 30 artifacts and groups of artifacts recognized as national treasures.

Nghe An province is honored to have one artifact, the Ma Nhai stele (preserved in Con Cuong commune), and a group of five bronze drums from Lang Vac (preserved and displayed at the Nghe An - Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum).

Bronze drum of Lang Vac I

The Lang Vac bronze drum collection consists of five drums, dating from the 3rd to the 1st centuries BC, unearthed during archaeological excavations at the Lang Vac site (Thai Hoa ward, Nghe An province). These are products showcasing the pinnacle of bronze casting techniques and decorative art of the Dong Son culture and ancient Vietnamese civilization.

Bronze drums of Lang Vac II

The five bronze drums from Lang Vac village are relatively intact, with balanced and harmonious shapes, and rich, sharp decorative patterns.

Funeral drum

The national treasure, the Ma Nhai stele (Ma Nhai Kỷ Công stele), was carved in the year Ất Hợi, the 7th year of the Khai Hựu era (1335), on the rocky cliff in the Cự Đồn area, Mật Châu, now Con Cuông commune, Nghệ An province.

The Ma Nhai stele, a national treasure, is located in Con Cuong commune.

The Ma Nhai stele is an original, unique, and perfectly preserved artifact. It has a rectangular layout, without borders or decorative patterns, and consists of 14 lines with 155 Chinese characters. The characters are deeply carved, in a simple, straightforward style, with each character averaging about 10.5 cm in width, making it one of the largest stone steles in Vietnam. This is the second oldest stele in the country and the oldest still preserved in the Central region.

>> Some images of the Lang Vac bronze drum collection and the Ma Nhai stele:

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Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/doc-dao-bao-vat-quoc-gia-trong-dong-lang-vac-va-bia-ma-nhai-post837607.html