The temple dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang in Ninh Binh’s Hoa Lu district is home to a unique pair of royal stone beds (or Dragon bed) dating back to the early 17th century. The beds are made from monolithic limestone with a geological age of 260 to 300 million years. With delicate carvings of shrimp, fish, weasels, mice, and birds, the beds were recognised as national treasures in 2017.
After consulting with experts and scientists, the Centre for Hoa Lu Historical and Cultural Conservation decided to build roofs over outdoor artefacts. With the pair of royal stone beds, it applied a Nano-coating method to protect their surface. Thanks to such efforts, the treasures have retained their original state.
In addition to the pair of stone beds, Ninh Binh is also home to a number of other national treasures, such as a stone Buddhist scripture column at Nhat Tru Pagoda, a ceremonial weapon at Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang’s temple, and a ceremonial weapon at Emperor Le Dai Hanh’s temple.
To preserve these national treasures over the long-term, Ninh Binh province has directed relevant agencies to continue attempts to identify the best conservation practices./.
