Retired teacher’s museum sets national record

Dr Nguyễn Quang Cương, establisher of the Hoa Cương Museum, receives the national record recognition. VNA/VNS Photo Hữu Quyết

HÀ TĨNH — The Vietnam Record Organisation (VietKings) has awarded a record certification to the Hoa Cương Museum in Lộc Hà District in the central province of Hà Tĩnh.

The private museum has been recognised for displaying a collection of multi-material artefacts about the history and culture of the Vietnamese people gathered over 50 years, featuring the most diverse themes in Việt Nam.

The Hoa Cương Museum has a total area of 1,500sq.m. Established by Dr Nguyễn Quang Cương in 2017 and opened in November 2020, it is one of 70 private museums established across the country.

The museum now houses 4,000 artefacts, 3,700 documents, books, manuscripts, and rare images.

The artefacts are classified into 13 main themes, including traditional agricultural tools, handicrafts, household items, ancient coins, objects from the resistance wars against France and the US, and artefacts related to Việt Nam’s seas and islands.

The museum now houses 4,000 artifacts, 3,700 documents, books, manuscripts, and rare images. — VNA/VNS Photo Hữu Quyết

The museum is recognised for representing the life of Vietnamese people from ancient times, primarily focusing on the Nguyễn era to the present. It includes petrified wood blocks from millions of years ago, prehistoric stone tools dating back over 4,000 years, and numerous artefacts from the Lý, Trần and Lê dynasties.

According to Hoàng Thanh Khiết, a member of the Vietnam Record Establishment Council, the Hoa Cương Museum possesses an incredibly rich and diverse collection of artefacts, both in terms of themes and materials.

The museum is not only a place for preserving valuable artefacts, but also plays an important role in educating and promoting national history and culture. It contributes to nurturing a sense of pride and national identity among generations of Vietnamese people, especially the youth.

Dr Cương, a retired lecturer at Quy Nhơn University in Bình Định Province, said the idea of establishing a museum came to him from 1971 to 1974, after he lost some valuable certificates. He felt the need to preserve beautiful pieces of the past to create a museum for his family and society.

Over the decades, the now-72-year-old travelled to various regions across the country to collect and purchase artefacts, which he stored at his home and the homes of his relatives and friends.

He hopes that the establishment of the Hoa Cương Museum will also help future generations appreciate and cherish the value of history and tradition through the artefacts. This, in turn, will help nurture patriotism, encouraging future generations to learn and contribute even more.

After receiving the VietKings certification, the retired teacher said he would continue to collect and add artefacts to the exhibition, making the museum increasingly diverse, rich and engaging.

The Hoa Cương Museum is now open to the public free of charge. — VNS

Many artifacts are hundreds of years old. — VNA/VNS Photo Hữu Quyết