At 4 pm, September 19, 2014, an opening ceremony to launch the special exhibition called “Ancient Civilization in Vietnam, the Early Morning in Red River” was held at the Naju National Museum, South Korea. Previously, the exhibition was held twice at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul (28/4-29/6/2014) and Jeju National Museum (11/7 – 10/9/2014). And this is the last one.
Though it was opened in a country side in Naju city, South Jeolla province (South West of SK), there have been hundreds of visitors, including the Chairman of Naju City, national museums, SK National Marine Cultural Heritage Institute, Naju cultural associations, overseas Vietnamese in Naju and news agencies to come to attend. Represented for Vietnam side were Ms. Pham Thi Duc Trang (Personnel Division) and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Chat (Research and Collection Division), VNMH Museum.
Mr. Park Joong Whan – Director of Naju National Museum delivered an opening speech
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Park Joong Whan - Director of Naju National Museum expressed his gratitude to Vietnamese government and relevant competent organizations, especially the VNMH Museum who has created favorable conditions for them to launch the exhibition.
He said that the exhibition is meaningful to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and SK (9/1992 - 9/2014) and the 1st celebration of the building of Naju Museum (11/2013 - 11/2014). This is the first time for an international event to be organized in his museum. It brings chances for SK people to understand Vietnamese culture and history. Such event helps to consolidate the co-operation and friendship between Vietnam and SK. He also expected that there will be more collaborative programs to be done by VNMH Museum and Naju Museum in the future.
Ms. Pham Thi Duc Trang – represented for VNMH Museum addresses a greeting speech
Cutting ribbon
In an area of 300m2, the exhibition showcases around 400 objects (lent from VNMH Museum) of Sa Huynh and Dong Nai civilizations and particularly Dong Son civilization. The introduction on the Dong Son civilization plays a key part in this exhibition. It brought a fully perspective on the development of Dong Son culture in sense of inhabitant distribution, working and living wares, social – economic and spiritual life, agriculture, bronze casting and how it created the conditions for the first kingdom of Vietnam to be born.
Visitors can be fascinated with bronze collections as urns, jars, particularly bronze drums and its reproductions. All of them were very sophisticated and beautiful artworks.
The showcase spent a small part to introduce generally about other contemporary cultures in Vietnam or Sa Huynh culture in the Central and Dong Nai culture in the South. They exchanged and interacted to form a diversified and united Viet culture.
Guests and visitors attended the exhibition
The exhibition is opened to November 9, 2014
In the margin, pre the opening ceremony, the Naju National Museum has organized a seminar with an essay made by Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Chat (VNMH Museum) titled "Funeral rituals and marine trading of Sa Huynh ancient people in Central Vietnam".
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Chat is presenting his essay
Audiences at the seminar
The essay focused on the discovery and studies about Sa Huynh culture. It mentioned the basic characteristics of Sa Huynh culture including the funeral rituals, and marine trade relations between Sa Huynh people and foreign cultures of South East Asia, East Asia and Mediterranean. Those can be seen on grave goods made of ceramic and bronze, and accessories made of crystal, onyx and gems. The essay also defined the commons and differentiations between the graved tombs of ceramic jar in Sa Huynh (dating 5th century BC – 1st, 2nd centuries AD) and that in Naju (dating 4th- 7th centuries AD). Thus, it has put on open for questions about the influences and exchanges between the two cultures.
The ceremony was ended friendly with a party to introduce some Vietnamese traditional food made by Naju overseas Vietnamese ladies.
Some photos:
News/photos: Ngoc Chat, Duc Trang
EN: Tran Trang