US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak presents symbolic money to Nam Dinh museum director Nguyen Van Thu.

Nhan Dan Online-  US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak yesterday presented a grant for US$ 30,000 to Nam Dinh provincial museum to restore and preserve a valuable collection of wooden religious objects. 

This restoration project will help Nam Dinh Museum to preserve 57 carved wooden objects and to enhance the training and skill level of the museum staff. 

The pieces, dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, were collected by the museum staff over the years and reflect a golden age of Vietnamese artistry.

As a key centrepiece of the museum's collection, these objects have been badly damaged over time so now they are in need of being restored. 

This grant was provided through the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. The fund was established in 2001 to help developing countries preserve cultural heritage.  Since then, the fund has supported more than 400 cultural preservation projects worldwide, including eight projects in Vietnam, totaling US$11.3 million.

D.T