New life in Nghe An museums
No longer just quiet spaces displaying artifacts, museums in Nghe An province have been undergoing a dramatic transformation, becoming vibrant centers of education and experience. From applying modern technology to organizing creative interactive activities, museums are striving to affirm their role in the cultural life of the community.
Heritage in the digital space
In a digital experiential exhibition space with the theme "Nghe An - Land and People," spanning nearly 200 square meters.2At the Nghe An Museum, Nguyen Huu Trung, a third-year student in the Faculty of Tourism and Social Work (Vinh University), expressed his delight at being able to search for complete information about artifacts simply by touching the screen. “Technology helps me appreciate the wonder of these artifacts, thousands of years old. With just a touch of my finger, information and even the smallest carving details are clearly displayed, something I could only see through glass cases when visiting the museum before,” Trung shared.
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Beyond simply touching the screen, visitors to the Nghe An Museum can also experience virtual reality (VR) technology. With this technology, viewers wear VR glasses and interact with the virtual environment through positioning and motion control devices, creating a truly realistic and immersive experience.
Additionally, there is a digital experience exhibition about Tham Om Cave – a typical archaeological site of the late Paleolithic period in Nghe An, dating back approximately 200,000 years. Using 3D mapping technology, content is presented through 3D effects, creating interactive visual elements in a three-dimensional space instead of the traditional two-dimensional one.
The "Nghe An - Land and People" digital experiential exhibition space, inaugurated in March 2024, is considered a significant milestone for the Nghe An Museum, aiming to meet the evolving needs and increasing public demand for appreciating historical and cultural values.
According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Cuong, Director of the Nghe An Museum, the application of digital technology in exhibitions and presentations is an inevitable trend for modern museums. Although these are only initial steps, the combination of technological applications that the Museum is implementing in the "Nghe An - Land and People" exhibition space has made the "stories" within the artifacts more vivid than ever before.
Immersing oneself in a space that is both familiar and unfamiliar, admiring artifacts in meticulous detail, and blending modernity and antiquity will bring the public new emotions. The combination of museum and technology also sparks interest and stimulates exploration and learning among the younger generation; it serves as a bridge, bridging the gap and encouraging young people to actively participate in activities related to history.
Currently, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum is preserving and displaying nearly 16,000 artifacts and documents related to the Nghe Tinh Soviet revolutionary movement of 1930-1931. The Nghe An Museum is preserving and displaying more than 31,000 items of significant historical and cultural value, including 3 artifacts recognized as National Treasures: a dagger with a handle shaped like a snake biting an elephant's foot, a bronze ladle with a handle shaped like an elephant, and a reliquary box from Thap Nhan Tower.
According to statistics, in 2024, the Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum welcomed 20,700 visitors who came to offer incense and flowers at the Memorial House and to tour and participate in experiential activities at the Museum; researchers and relatives came to access records in the archives. The Nghe An Museum welcomed nearly 23,000 on-site visitors, including 270 foreign visitors and 670 experiential visitors.
An enjoyable experience associated with education.
In early December 2024, the "Document Printing" experiential activity, organized by the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum in collaboration with Vinh Tan Secondary School (Vinh City), left a deep impression on the 9th-grade students participating in the program. During the program, the students not only learned about and observed vivid documents and artifacts related to the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement (1930-1931), but also participated in a knowledge-based game called "Secret Crossword" and directly experienced how documents like leaflets were printed more than 90 years ago.
Nguyen Thao My, a 9th-grade student from Vinh Tan Secondary School, shared: “Participating in this activity, I learned more about the methods of propaganda and printing used by our predecessors. From that, I feel very proud to have been born and raised in this heroic Soviet land.”
Earlier, at the end of November 2024, the "Echoes of Homeland Heritage" experiential program, organized by the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum in collaboration with Le Mao Secondary School (Vinh City), also attracted hundreds of students. At the program, the students had the opportunity to see over 30 musical instruments out of more than 100 instruments belonging to artisan Nguyen Thanh Phuc from Thanh Chuong town (Thanh Chuong district); they were introduced to the methods of making, using, the functions, and the spaces where different musical instruments of various ethnic groups were used, such as the bầu lute, the T'rưng stone lute, various types of horns, flutes, etc. In particular, instruments such as drums, gongs, and horns, which once played a role in signaling the assembly of forces or encouraging the fighting spirit of the masses during the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, were also introduced through lively performances.
Ms. Tran Thi Hong Nhung, Deputy Director of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, said: “In recent years, along with on-site exhibitions, thematic exhibitions, and traveling exhibitions, experiential activities organized by the Museum in coordination with schools in the province have been one of the important highlights in the regular activities of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum. In 2024, the Museum successfully organized unique experiential programs such as: “Spring Flower Colors”, “Preserving the Soul of the Homeland's Conical Hat”, “Following the Footsteps of the Party”, “Lotus”, “Incense Offering of Gratitude”, “Printing Documents”, “Echoes of Homeland Heritage”… with the participation of thousands of students from schools, agencies, and organizations in the province.”
Over the years, the Nghe An Museum has also organized many experiential programs such as printing Dong Ho folk paintings, pottery making, creating artifact specimens, making incense sticks, making mooncakes, and painting Mid-Autumn Festival themes. In particular, the Museum has collaborated with the Provincial Traditional Arts Center to organize performances of Vi and Giam folk songs as part of these experiential programs.
Excited to participate with her children in the Dong Ho folk painting printing experience, Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Thu from Ha Huy Tap ward (Vinh City) expressed: "Having participated in many experiential activities at the Nghe An Museum with my children, I feel very happy to be immersed in the lively games and experiences, as well as to discover and learn more about our national culture."
According to Mr. Ho Manh Ha, Deputy Head of the Heritage Management Department (Department of Culture and Sports), with 60-70% of visitors being students, museums are places where children can learn basic knowledge about history, culture, and national heritage. However, to help them feel, understand, and retain a positive impression of heritage, educational and experiential activities need to be diversified. This transformation not only helps museums maintain their connection to modern social life but also opens up new opportunities for education and inspires the younger generation. Therefore, museums are not just places to "see" but also to "experience" and "interact," where each individual can find a part of themselves in the flow of history and culture.
"The word 'museum' needs to be understood in many new ways, not just as a place to preserve what has passed, but also as a place for the public to come and experience, learn new knowledge, and have relaxing moments," Mr. Ha shared.
In recent years, following the Covid-19 pandemic, museums in Nghe An province have focused on improving the quality of their operations; employing various methods to attract an increasing number of domestic and international visitors. To achieve this, museums have made significant efforts and innovated their activities to adapt to societal changes and the community's cultural needs. Besides experiential activities, museums in Nghe An have also focused on improving exhibition methods. Exhibition spaces have been creatively renovated and upgraded, harmoniously combining lighting systems, colors, and decorative motifs to suit the content and themes of the exhibits, and especially incorporating digital technology into exhibition activities. Local history education and promotion of historical sites are organized at museums in diverse and engaging forms.
In the future, museums need to strengthen cooperation with tourism companies to create unique products that attract a diverse range of visitors beyond just students.
Mr. Bui Cong Vinh – Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports
It can be affirmed that, with the combination of modern technology and traditional heritage values, and with the diversification of experiential activities, museums in Nghe An are taking on a new look. More than just places to display artifacts, museums have become vibrant spaces for interaction and community engagement. This innovation not only helps preserve cultural heritage but also opens up opportunities to inspire the younger generation, contributing to building the image of a dynamic and distinctive Nghe An.
