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Aug 29, 2016 / 11:38

Hanoi Museum ranked as one of world’s most beautiful museums

The US’ Business Insider newspaper has recently listed Hanoi Museum in the Capital city of Hanoi in the world’s most beautiful museums.

 
Located in Pham Hung Street, the museum has the form of an upside down pyramid with a spiral staircase inside that bring visitors to every exhibit section. The building was opened in 2010 to mark the Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi. On display are over 50,000 artifacts from Hanoi’s thousand-year history and the nation’s history, culture, heritage, and architecture. 
Hanoi Museum
Hanoi Museum
Hanoi Museum, a large-scale cultural project of the Capital, has completed its basic construction phase and been in use for five years. During that period, Hanoi Museum has fulfilled its mission of introducing to the public some typical artefacts and collections, fit to be exhibited in the proposed themes and topics of the future official design of the museum.

As for the design approach, the museum had the scenario ready almost at the same time as the construction began; the content is based on six main topics, namely ‘Geography and natural resources of Hanoi’, ‘The pre-Thang Long period’, ‘Capital Thang Long in the Dai Viet Civilization’, ‘Hanoi of late 19th, early 20th centuries’, ‘Hanoi, Capital of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam’, ‘Hanoi, Capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’, and 7 major themes, namely ‘Uncle Ho and Hanoi’, ‘Hanoi lifestyle’, ‘Ancient money collections’, ‘Foreign antiques’, ‘Fine handicrafts collections’, ‘Ethnic cultures’, and ‘Private collections’.

In working sessions with foreign designers, the scenario drafters, science committee and the museum’s specialists have studied deeper to decide the content that must be showcased and to propose the types of documents and artefacts that must be present, many of which must be further collected, since the museum doesn’t have enough of them.

It is a big task that requires much effort from the scenario drafters and Hanoi Museum specialists, especially a lot of know-how and talent from scientists of many different disciplines, such as museology, archaeology, art, architecture, etc. The new approach requires innovation and dedication. The participation of New Zealand specialists in the total design and that of Japanese specialists in detailed design are crucial. Today, the specific design of the exhibitions of Hanoi Museum is basically complete and has achieved significant success.
 
The photo exhibition of Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards 2014 at the Hanoi Museum
The photo exhibition of Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards 2014 at the Hanoi Museum
Hanoi Museum is currently finishing the outdoor themes, content topics 1 and 2 on the 2nd floor of the building, at the same time finishing the design of the remaining topics on 3rd and 4th floors. Apart from that, the museum has also done many topical exhibitions for the public, the most recent being ‘Typical Antiques of Hanoi Museum’. Soon, to celebrate Cultural Heritage Day (Nov 23rd, 2015), the museum will collaborate with ‘Vietnam Heritage’ magazine to organize a photo exhibition on the topic of Vietnamese cultural heritage. In recent years, cultural activities become more and more frequent and higher quality, thus attracting more attention and appreciation of the community. This is the right path to the future, when, with the completion of the display content under the official design, Hanoi Museum will become a cultural destination, truly dear to the people of the capital, all compatriots and foreign tourists.

The Hanoi Museum has received 145 documents and artefacts by 41 organisations and individuals across the country in response to a campaign to donate documents, objects and photos. The items will be displayed at the Hanoi Museum on occasion of the 60th anniversary of the capital city’s Liberation Day (October 10, 1954-2014).

According to To Van Dong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the campaign has called for a response from organisations and individuals nationwide and overseas Vietnamese in preserving and promoting the national cultural heritage values in general and in Hanoi particular.

Other museums on the list included the Palace Museum in China’s Forbidden City, Guggenheim Bilbao (Spain), the Natural History Museum (London, the UK), the Louvre (Paris, France), the Jewish Museum (Berlin, Germany),the Royal Ontario (Canada), the Moscow State Historical Museum (Russia), the Louis Vuitton Foundation (Paris, France), the Metropolitan Museum of Art ( New York, the US), Salvador Dali ( Figueres, Spain).