On the morning of July 23, 2025, Mr. Ho An Phong, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, visited the Vietnam National Museum of History (VNMH).
He was accompanied by senior representatives from the Department of Cultural Heritage, the Department of Cinema, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the Copyright Office, the Department of Planning and Finance, the Department of Legal Affairs, the Tourism Development Fund, and the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts. The VNMH leadership in attendance included Dr. Nguyen Van Doan, the Director, and MA. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoan, the Deputy Director.
Before the meeting, the Deputy Minister and his delegation toured the museum’s exhibitions, explored the artifact storage areas, and conducted an on-site inspection of the museum’s facilities.
Deputy Minister Ho An Phong and representative from relevant departments of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism visited the exhibition at the VNMH.
Deputy Minister Ho An Phong at the VNMH souvenir shop.
The Deputy Minister stated that visiting the museum was a deeply moving experience, awakening in him a strong sense of national pride and deep gratitude for the generations who sacrificed for the country’s independence and freedom.
He emphasized that the artifacts and documents not only reflect the long history of the Vietnamese people but also hold great spiritual value. They help inspire patriotism, national pride, and a sense of civic responsibility in each individual.
With the appropriate policies, mechanisms, and strong determination, the value of heritage, including museum resources, can be effectively harnessed to develop the cultural industry sustainably. By integrating heritage with contemporary creativity, technology, and market demands, the “treasures” of our ancestors will not only hold spiritual significance but also become key assets contributing to the country’s economic and social development.
During the meeting, the museum’s management summarized its key functions and tasks, shared the results of recent activities, and introduced cultural products like educational programs, tours, publications, and souvenirs that could be developed into cultural industry offerings. They also disscussed the strengths and difficulties relating to policies, facilities, and resources during implementation.
Panoramic photo of the meeting
Deputy Minister Ho An Phong giving a speech at the meeting
During the meeting, Deputy Minister provided guidance on key directions for promoting the development of the cultural industry at the VNMH in particular, and museums and historical sites in general. The directions are as follows:
- Conduct thorough research and assessment of audience needs to create cultural products that meet demand, while also focusing on generating supply to stimulate interest.
- Focus on producing cultural products like unique gift sets, artifact replicas, and exclusive souvenirs associated with the Museum’s brand. Pay special attention to enhancing product value and control the entire process from design to commercial development. A successful cultural industry requires good ideas, strong projects, and high-quality products.
- Prioritize the digitization of artifacts as a fundamental basis for building and innovating digital cultural products.
- Build connections and cooperate with businesses to develop quality cultural products. Expand international cooperation to exchange expertise and learn from the cultural industry models of modern museums.
- Reorganize by creating specialized divisions focused on cultural industry development, esuring proper training is provided.
The Deputy Minister also asked the Ministry’s departments and the Copyright Office to collaborate with the museum address the challenges and suggest suitable policies on copyright, the use of digital resources, the creation of cultural products, and related legal issues.
Dr. Nguyen Van Doan delivering remarks in response to the Deputy Minister’s guidance.
On behalf of the VNMH leadership, Director Nguyen Van Doan expressed his gratitude for the Ministry's support and affirmed the museum’s commitment to united and effective performance.
Thu Hien