According to the German archaeologists, the Dong Son bronze drum, dating back to the Bronze Age, shares various similarities with many famous discs found elsewhere around the world, including “Nebra Sky Disc,” an ancient object thought to be the world’s oldest map of the stars created in Germany around 1670 B.C. The disc illustrates what may be the sun or full moon, a crescent moon and stars.

A mock-up of the Dong Son bronze drum displayed at the World of Sky Discs Exhibition in Germany.

Through their decades-long cooperation, Görlitz and Wirth provided visitors with a glimpse on not only ancient astronomy but also the Bronze Age. The use of new image science methods has also led to ground-breaking discoveries of the sky discs.

Speaking at the launch of the event on July 15, Nguyen Thu Hang, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Vietnam in Germany thanked Görlitz and Wirth for offering the public with many useful information about astronomy and worldview from new perspectives.

Hang said she was proud to see Vietnam’s Dong Son bronze drum introduced at a German exhibition in such a unique way.

Dong Son Culture (dated from the seventh century BC to the first – second century AD) was a Metal Age in ancient Vietnam. It was named by archaeologists for the Dong Son village on the banks of Ma River, Thanh Hoa city where a number of bronze items were accidentally discovered in 1924.

The Dong Son bronze drums (also called Heger Type 1 drums according to F. Heger's classification) are bronze drums fabricated by the Dong Son culture and one of the finest examples of Vietnamese ancient bronze casting technique.

They were perhaps used as one kind of important musical instrument initially, but step by step, they became the symbol of power of Dong Son tribe leaders and representing for the survival of the Lac Viet Community.

Van village's mud ball wrestling festival recognised as national intangible cultural heritage

(BGO) - On May 12 (the 12th day of the fourth lunar month), in Yen Vien village of Van Ha commune, the People's Committee of Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province held a ceremony to announce a decision recognizing the mud ball wrestling festival of Van village as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Exhibition honours Vietnam’s cultural heritage

An exhibition, entitled “Vietnam Cultural Heritage Space”, is taking place in the ancient town of Hoi An, in the central province of Quang Nam, from July 8-13, highlighting the values of cultural heritage and the unique nature of Vietnam which was honoured by UNESCO.

Unique mud ball wrestling festival in Van village recognized national intangible cultural heritage

(BGO) - The People’s Committee in Viet Yen district (Bac Giang province) on May 12 ( lunar April 12) held a ceremony to announce the Decision recognizing traditional mud ball wrestling festival in Van village as national intangible cultural heritage.  

Two religious practices in Ha Giang named national heritage

The post-harvest ritual of the Co Lao ethnic group and the Ban Vuong worshipping ceremony of the Red Dao ethnic people in the northern province of Ha Giang have been listed as two national intangible cultural heritages, announced the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 7.

Kate Festival of Cham ethnic people in Binh Thuan Province recognised as national intangible cultural heritage

Kate Festival of Cham ethnic minority people in Binh Thuan Province has been recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage under Decision No.776/QD-BVHTTDL issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Source: NDO/VNA