In September 2023, a ceremony was held in London, UK, to return a seventh-century bronze statue of the four-armed Goddess Durga to Vietnam. This event marked the culmination of a lengthy investigation by the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into the dealings of art dealer Douglas Latchford.
The statue, which is 191 cm long and weighs 101 kg, is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage relic. It was stolen from the My Son Sanctuary in central Vietnam’s Quang Nam province in 2008 and has now been returned to its rightful home thanks to the collaborative efforts of HSI and London’s Metropolitan Police.
The Vietnam National Museum of History received the four-armed Goddess Durga statue on June 18 and has since developed plans to ensure the preservation of this and other Vietnamese cultural artifacts for future generations to appreciate.
Hanoi: French architecture walking tour launched
The first tour after social distancing order was removed in Hanoi entertains visitors with the best examples of French architectures in the capital city.