VietNamNet Bridge – The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre stated that it has been trying to call for financial support to bring back a beloved Vietnamese emperor's bed and a rickshaw home from France.

The rickshaw of Thanh Thai King

The rickshaw was the item that Thanh Thai King commissioned for his mother. King Thanh Thai (1879 – 1954), the tenth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), of Vietnam’s last ruling family. He was known as a good king who was one of three rulers, including his predecessor, Ham Nghi and his son Duy Tan, to be dethroned and banished for opposing French colonial powers.

The rickshaw was made of rare hardwoods and inlaid with mother of pearl.

Both the ornate bed and the ornate rickshaw were sold at a Rouillac auction in Tours on June 13.

The Hue centre made the winning bid for the rickshaw, at 55,800 euros (US$76,000). However, the Guimet Asian Arts Museum in Paris immediately sought to buy it back based on auction priority for the host country under French law.

Still, the French Ministry of Culture agreed to relinquish its claim to the item.

The royal bed and the rickshaw of Thanh Thai King

According to the director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, Phan Thanh Hai, finance is a problem for bringing the rickshaw back. Now, the centre needs an additional EUR10,000 for transport of the rickshaw to Vietnam.

Now the centre is seeking the financial support from both individuals and organisations to retrieve it.

Mr. Hai added that Vietnam has lost many of its most precious cultural items to overseas auctions due to a lack of money and information.

Vietnam seeks return of royal treasures from France

DTriNews/VNN