The exhibition “From the Bac Co House to the National Museum of History” introduces documents and photos related with the National History Museum’s 90-year history, from the inauguration of the Louis Finot Museum building of the Institute of the Far East of Ancient France until the present (1932-2022). This is a typical work for the Indochinese architectural style in Vietnam during the colonial period, a unique architectural style combining the East and the West designed and built by French architects; followed by generations of French, Vietnamese, and particularly the Vietnam History Museum, the National History Museum continued to inherit, preserve, and promote its effectiveness. Architectural values, construction functions, and valuable knowledge and experiences gained during the process of designing, building, using, renovating, and promoting should be respected and carefully studied to be passed down, along with the desire to change the museum’s future to better serve the needs of visitors.
Delegates visiting the Exhibition
The exhibition includes 3 themes:
Theme 1: Formation history introduces the background of the birth, construction process, the first stage of operation of the Museum under the management of the French (1932 – 1957) and typical architectural values.
Theme 2: From the Bac Co House to the National Museum of History introduces important historical milestones in the turning point of transferring works and facilities, as well as documents and artifacts to the Government of Vietnam (1945 – 1946) and the process of receiving, the adjustment and conversion of content, renovation of architectural space for storage and display. However, the museum work still retains the correct functions and architectural values, uses and functions. The work itself has become a valuable heritage, containing a valuable heritage block worthy of architectural value. From there, it shows that the design, use and improvement of architectural works are certainly valuable lessons.
Theme 3: National Museum of History – a new journey introduces the 90-year process of existence, through adjustments, renovations and repairs, but the building still retains its original appearance.
At the opening ceremony of the exhibition on November 18, the National Museum of History received 10 artifacts from Ms. Pam Devolder – Information and Cultural Counselor, US Embassy in Vietnam in the presence of the representatives of relevant functional departments of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and delegates attended the ceremony. The group of artifacts includes: 01 stone ax belonging to the Late Neolithic period, 04 artifacts (03 bronze axes, 01 ceramic pot) belonging to Dong Son culture, 03 stone crocodile statues dating from the 1st – 2nd centuries AD and 02 bronze pipes with 17th – 18th centuries. These are among the 7,000 illegally traded artifacts that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) collected in 2014.
Artifacts returned to Vietnam by the US
The exhibition is open to visitors from November 18, 2022 to March 2023.
B.T
Photo: Bac Dung