In the autumn of 2022, a Việt Namese delegation went to France to negotiate with French auction house Millon to repatriate a gold seal of Nguyễn Dynasty’s Emperor Minh Mạng created in 1823.
The Đại Nam Kingdom was invaded by the French Second Empire in 1858 and the Nguyễn Court had surrendered three southern provinces to the French.
The auction house agreed to repatriate the seal to Vietnam.
In 1884, the Treaty of Huế was signed, in which the Tonkin (North Việt Nam proper), Annam (Centre) were protectorate regions, the Cochinchina (South Việt Nam proper) was a French colony, and the royal court was also put under French supervision.
During the 87 years of colonisation, a drainage of natural resources, treasure troves, antiquities and human resources exhausted the country, prompting the people to rise up to fight for its independence in 1945.
While the repatriation of cultural property can sometimes be a complex issue, there is no doubt that the nation suffered much from the legacy of colonialism. Sooner or later, our ancient artefacts must be returned.
