Nha Chuong — A symbol of supreme power in ancient Vietnam

The Nha Chuong collection is among the most remarkable artifacts featured in the exhibition “Hung Kings’ Culture in the Flow of Red River Civilization” at the Hung King Museum, held in celebration of the Hung Kings’ Death Anniversary — Cultural Tourism Week of the Ancestral Land in 2025. Regarded as a symbol of supreme power in ancient Vietnam, Nha Chuong was officially recognized as a national treasure in 2020.

The Nha Chuong is on display at the Hung King Museum.

Nha Chuong represents the most distinctive type of stoneware discovered from the Phung Nguyen culture period. Estimated to be around 3,700–3,400 years old, it was crafted from jade and used in rituals. According to the Chinese text Zhou Li, Nha Chuong was used to rally troops and command military garrisons—akin to a “Thuong Phuong Bao Kiem,” a ceremonial sword that signified military authority.

Researchers believe that Nha Chuong functioned as a scepter or token of leadership, symbolizing a leader’s power to command both troops and generals. In Vietnam, it not only served as a representation of political and military power but also stood as a sacred object treasured by tribal communities during the early Phung Nguyen culture period.

Seventh-grade students from Gia Cam Secondary School in Viet Tri City visit the Nha Chuong display.

Structurally, Nha Chuong showcases a sophisticated level of craftsmanship. Techniques such as hammering, chiseling, drilling, sawing, and carving symmetrical grooves and radial perforations were employed. Additional techniques—polishing, smoothing, creating beveled V-shapes, and carving fishtail edges—highlight the aesthetic excellence and technical mastery of Phung Nguyen-era artisans. The meticulous choice of jade and matching techniques further illustrate the peak of ancient Vietnamese stone craftsmanship.

To date, only eight Nha Chuongs have been discovered in Vietnam, at two key archaeological sites: Phung Nguyen (Phung Nguyen Commune, Lam Thao District) and Xom Ren (Gia Thanh Commune, Phu Ninh District). The Hung King Museum currently houses four of them. Each artifact is unique in form, embodying a fragment of the nation’s story from nearly 4,000 years ago.

Image of Nha Chuong being excavated at an archaeological site (photo).

The first Nha Chuong was discovered by a local resident in 1993 and officially announced in 1998. It remains intact and is made of nephrite jade with ivory-colored veins. The piece is polished and measures 35 cm in length, with a 12 cm wide blade and an 8.9 cm wide grommet; it is 0.7 cm long and 0.4 cm thick. The shaft contains two round holes, each 0.8 cm in diameter and spaced 3.3 cm apart. A V-shaped concave joint separates the body and blade, while the blade is beveled on one side. Saw marks remain visible on the shaft.

The second Nha Chuong was excavated by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Xom Ren site in December 2004. This artifact is made of blue-gray jade and polished to a smooth finish. The rectangular shaft is narrower than the body and blade, while the V-shaped blade flares outward. There are two pairs of joints on either side of the body-shaft junction, with grooves on the outer edges and a round hole at the center. The artifact is 20 cm long, 6.6 cm wide, and 0.4 cm thick and weighs 190 g. The hole has a 0.4 cm diameter, and the groove depth is 0.5 cm.

Four Nha Chuongs are currently on display at the Hung King Museum.

The third Nha Chuong was discovered in December 2006. Rectangular in shape with a straight body and curved blade, it features a slight mid-body indentation and is made of white nephrite with pink veins. Weighing 280 g, it measures 32.1 cm in length and 0.7 cm in thickness, with a 5.9 cm blade width, 5.1 cm body width, and 4.2 cm handle width. It is polished throughout. The piece includes both large and small V-shaped joints, with one large joint near the hilt bearing six smaller ones. Intricate parallel grooves, created using sawing techniques, are symmetrically carved. A round hole (0.5 cm in diameter) is drilled through the large joint near the hilt.

The fourth Nha Chuong, discovered alongside the third, is the longest of the eight found so far. It is 64.2 cm long, 10.5 cm wide, and 0.6 cm thick, with a 7.7 cm wide blade and a 10.7 cm wide joint. Weighing 580 g, it features a fishtail-shaped blade polished on one side and a V-shaped cross-section. The joint area is intricately detailed with a mix of large and small joints and fine parallel grooves. Made of white jade with gray veins, the artifact is polished smooth, except for the joint head, which shows saw marks and a break—suggesting the joint was sawed from both sides before being broken horizontally. The piece remains mostly intact, with only the joint chipped.

Among all the artifacts, Nha Chuong continues to capture the imagination of visitors—especially students. Dang Thi Tra My, a 7th grader from Class 7A4, Gia Cam Secondary School, shared excitedly, “I’m very impressed by Nha Chuong. Through the teacher’s explanation, I’ve come to understand that this is a truly precious artifact with great significance in the Phung Nguyen cultural society.”

Nguyen Thi Xuan Ngan, Deputy Director of the Hung King Museum, stated, “The Nha Chuong National Treasure is a one-of-a-kind artifact, holding exceptional historical value tied to the founding of the Vietnamese nation. In recent years, its importance has been increasingly recognized by domestic and international scholars, the public, collectors, and tourists visiting the Ancestral Land.”

The story of our ancestors and the early formation of the Vietnamese state is vividly and authentically conveyed through such archaeological relics—nurturing pride, gratitude, and a deeper appreciation for the glorious and heroic past of our people.

Thuy Trang