Some VND6.2 billion from selling antique lights said to be the largest collection of lights in Vietnam to authorities in Dien Ban district in the central province of Quang Nam will be used for construction a nursery in the district Dien Ban.
The Peoples’ Committee of Dien Ban district paid VND6.2billion (US$300,970) for a collection of antique lights belonging to Le Cong Chiem of 400/1 Ung Van Khiem Street in Binh Thanh district.
The family has decided to spend the amount on building a pre-school facility named after their late son, Le Cong Anh Duc, who had collected these antique lights over a period of ten years.
Le Cong Anh Duc was born in 1970 and died in 2002 in a traffic accident. He collected many antique items but his collection of 500 lights was the largest collection of lights in Vietnam.
Antique collectors were surprised at the news and learning about a young collector who had spent 10 years collecting antiques. However, with his sudden death the origin of these antique lights has been lost, as they were not documented.
Mr. Chiem agreed to sell the collection to the authorities of Dien Ban district, who will display the collection at the museum. The family plans to use the money to build a kindergarten in the district where Le Cong Anh Duc was born.
The family also sold some other antique items including a carved wooden sculpture of four animals, two carved wooden lamp bases, a bronze fan used by kings and royalty and a large antique clock, which is still working.
