YEN BAI (VNS)— Concerns have been raised over the preservation of more than 20,000 ancient objects at the Yen Bai provincial museum, some as old as 13,000 years.

Several of these historically valuable objects have been stolen, while others have degraded during the lengthy construction work to build a new museum for the province.

Thousands of objects on display at the current museum have been placed in plastic pots and bamboo baskets on the floor of the museum, in a province where the climate is very humid.

In 2007, the local museum lost several valuable objects including a rare bronze jar that was a historical symbol of the diverse ethnic groups in Yen Bai and across the north-western region. The jar was later found at the bottom of a river near the Viet Nam - China border and brought back to the museum.

Museum authorities have requested relevant departments to speed up the construction of the new facility to help better preserve the artifacts and meet the demand of local inhabitants.-VNS