Vietnamese Embassy receives cultural artifacts and antiquities from FBI

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung presided over a ceremony on August 5 at the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States in order to receive several cultural artifacts and antiquities from the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

vietnamese embassy receives cultural artifacts and antiquities from fbi picture 1

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung (third from right) at the handover ceremony of Vietnamese antiques from representatives of the FBI, the US Department of State and the US Department of Homeland Security (Photo:VNA)

Those in attendance at the event include representatives of the US Department of State and the US Department of Homeland Security, as well as Vietnamese resident media outlets based in Washington D.C.

Speaking before the return of the cultural artifacts, a representative of the FBI said that through the investigation process which lasted from 2013 to 2014, the FBI's cultural and art crime investigation team took part in the largest cultural asset seizure in the agency's history. In doing so, they discovered and seized a large collection featuring over 7,000 cultural artifacts and antiques which had been illegally kept by a US citizen.

The person, before his death, expressed his wish to return the cultural artifacts and antiques to the community and their country of origin.

After classifying, storing, and doing appraisals with experts to determine the origin of the artifacts and antiquities, the FBI has successfully identified a number of undated artifacts originating from Vietnam, including one vase, one tool set consisting of eight pieces of copper, and one stone axe. The FBI therefore desires to return these artifacts to the nation.

Upon receiving the cultural artifacts, Ambassador Dung thanked the efforts of the US government and competent agencies in international co-operation in the prevention of transnational crimes, including cultural and artistic crimes.

According to the diplomat, the seizure, preservation, identification, and return of such a large amount of cultural artifacts and antiques requires a lot of time and effort. This therefore demonstrates the goodwill and commitment of the US in the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).

Under the authorisation of domestic authorities, the Vietnamese Embassy will receive these artifacts and will soon bring them home, handing them over to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Museum of History of Vietnam for their assessment, research, and exhibition.

Ambassador Dung said that both sides recently launched a range of bilateral professional co-operation and co-ordination activities on the basis of the "Memorandum of Understanding on prevention and control of transnational crimes" signed between the Ministry of Public Security and the FBI.

Most recently, in February Minister of Public Security To Lam and Christopher Asher Wray, director of the FBI, held online talks on ways to joins forces to combat transnational crimes between the two countries.

The Vietnamese diplomat affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy is keen to serve as a bridge to further step up ties between ministries, sectors, and agencies of the two nations.

VOV

Other News

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

In recent years, Ta Xua, dubbed "the paradise of clouds", has emerged as one of the mountainous destinations attracting strong interest from young travellers, particularly for its spectacular sea of clouds stretching across the mountains in the northwestern region.

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Training local young people in filming, audio recording, digital storytelling, data preservation and responsible use of AI can help build a new generation of cultural custodians. This, in turn, can help transform cultural heritage into a resource for economic development while contributing to the country’s broader development.

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

With growing recognition of indigenous knowledge, customs and cultural values as unique assets, ethnic communities in the northern mountainous region are shifting from simply providing tourism services to becoming creators and owners of tourism products, confidently telling their own cultural stories

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, noted that the official proclamation of the 2027–2036 period as the "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development" comes at a particularly important moment. As the international community works to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda while beginning to consider what comes after 2030, the Decade provides a ten-year framework to strengthen the place of culture in development.

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Under Resolution 80-NQ/TW, dated January 7, 2026, November 24 was designated Vietnam Culture Day, to be observed annually. The occasion aims to give the public opportunities to participate in, create and enjoy cultural activities, helping spread positive values and foster pride in Vietnamese culture.

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

For the MICE tourism sector in both Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, growth can no longer be driven merely by increasing the number of events; instead, the focus must shift to enhancing the value of each event and the competitiveness of each destination.

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Women’s football movements in local communities have been quietly growing, but they’ve now built up enough momentum to inspire organisers to launch the first Vietnam Ethnic Minority Women’s Football – VTV Cup in 2026.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

According to the magazine, boat trips into Phong Nha Cave and strolls through Paradise Cave (both family-friendly) offer a tantalising glimpse of their astonishing scale, but the real adventure lies deeper within the park, where cavers wade through underground rivers and weave among stalagmites.

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism effectiveness should be measured not only by visitor numbers and revenue, but also by spending, length of stay, repeat visits, job quality, visitor satisfaction and environmental carrying capacity, said experts.

Vietnam welcomes nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Vietnam tourism maintains strong growth, expands international markets

The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance reported that Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. The figure represented 63.6% of the tourism sector’s full-year target of 25 million arrivals.

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

Ngo Phuong Ly, the spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, said the two countries share similarities in silk weaving and can enrich their cultural heritage through exchanges and experience sharing.