At her villa in Xuan Thieu (Lien Chieu, Da Nang ), a vast collection of artifacts, including Buddha statues, wooden objects, paintings, Chinese porcelain, pottery, etc., is on display. Besides this location, she also has another collection of antiques stored in Cocodo, Hue.
A businessman with a warm heart.
Cecile Le Pham was born in 1952 in Hue , to a French father and a Vietnamese mother. Throughout her childhood and youth, until she left Vietnam for France in 1979, Cecile Le Pham lived in Vietnam but attended a French boarding school. As a result, she was deeply influenced by French lifestyle and culture. Only her accent remains that of a Southern Vietnamese woman, blended with the intonation of someone who has spoken French for many years.
In 1990, Cecile returned to Vietnam to visit her mother. This was the time when Vietnam was beginning its period of reform, and the government was inviting foreign entrepreneurs and overseas Vietnamese to return to the country to invest.
Cecile Le Pham embraced that policy and chose the textile and garment sector for investment. To date, she owns two garment factories: Dacotex in Hoa Tho Industrial Park (Da Nang) and Dacotex in Chu Lai Industrial Park (Quang Nam). In Hue, she established Hudatex, a joint venture garment manufacturing company with a state-owned enterprise in Thua Thien Hue, and also owns the renowned Le Domaine de Cocodo hotel in the ancient capital.
Although a businesswoman, Cecile Le Pham dedicates much of her time, effort, and money to charitable activities, focusing on minority communities, the underprivileged, and the working class in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam provinces and Da Nang city.
Cecile Le Pham has collaborated with the Youth Union in the western mountainous districts of Quang Nam province for nearly 20 years to sponsor the installation of solar power systems for ethnic minorities and impoverished people in the districts of Nam Giang, Dong Giang, Nam Tra My, and Bac Tra My.
Furthermore, she provides food, books, and school supplies to poor children in remote villages in Hoa Vang district (Da Nang city), A Luoi, and Nam Dong (Thua Thien Hue province)... She also established two orphanages, both named Hoa Mai, in Da Nang and Hau Giang to care for orphaned children for over 30 years.
Establishing an art museum to preserve heritage.
As a businesswoman, Cecile Le Pham has traveled extensively to meet partners and for leisure. This has given her the opportunity to explore the cultural heritage of many peoples and countries around the world. She has collected numerous artifacts, cultural assets, and other valuables from over 40 countries, bringing them back to France, and subsequently transferring them to Vietnam for safekeeping.
When inviting me to tour her two extensive collections in Da Nang and Hue, Cecile Le Pham said: “I intend to establish an art museum to introduce to the public the cultural heritage of Vietnam and of humanity, spreading artistic and cultural values to the community and tourists visiting Vietnam.”
"But I'm just a businessman who loves culture and wants to contribute to it, so I really need the expertise of professionals and the support of the local government so that the museum you've been dreaming of can be established soon."
Finally, Cecile Le Pham's wish came true. After more than three years of developing a plan to open a private art museum in Hue, and following numerous assessments by museum experts and multiple rounds of evaluation by the cultural sector, the Cecile Le Pham Art Museum was granted an establishment decision and operating license by the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province.
On April 24, 2023, the Cecile Le Pham Museum of Fine Arts officially opened in Hue. This is the fifth private museum in Hue, located within the grounds of the Le Domaine de Cocodo Hotel (53 Ham Nghi Street, Hue).
Cecile has poured her heart and soul into building this collection, which comprises over 1,000 artifacts originating from many countries, rich in type, diverse in material, unique in form, and possessing significant aesthetic and cultural value.
The Cecile Le Pham Museum of Fine Arts houses artifacts and handicrafts from Vietnam and China, primarily dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Cecile Le Pham has a particular passion for Chinese cloisonné enamelware. At the museum, she displays a collection of Chinese cloisonné enamelware including ceramics, interior decorations, and large-scale furniture sets.
The theme "East Asian Buddhist Art - Multidimensional Approaches" is a striking highlight at the museum. It features over 50 Buddha statues, scriptures, ritual objects, artifacts, and artworks from various Asian Buddhist countries, including unique Buddha statues from India, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The artifacts displayed here showcase the diversity of two schools of Buddhist art: Theravada (primarily found in South Asia and Southeast Asia) and Mahayana (primarily found in Northeast Asia and Vietnam); they also reflect the cultural and artistic exchange throughout history between countries influenced by Buddhism.
A place to spread cultural values.
Heritage is not just about preserving it, but also about spreading its value. That is the aspiration of Cecile Le Pham. “I want to establish a museum in Hue because it is a city with an ancient culture, most notably the heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty. My wish is for young people, students, and university students to be able to admire artifacts collected from all over the world, thereby nurturing their passion for cultural heritage.”
The Cecile Le Pham Museum of Fine Arts has become a new and attractive destination for tourists and local youth since its opening. It also regularly hosts art activities for students of all levels in Hue: museum visits, heritage storytelling, painting competitions, and more.
These activities have encouraged young people to take an interest in culture and art, providing essential nourishment for young people on their journey to maturity and the development of their minds, hearts, and morals. This is what businesswoman, philanthropist, and art and culture advocate Cecile Le Pham has always desired and practiced for the past several decades.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/cecile-le-pham-nu-doanh-nhan-lam-van-hoa-3143627.html
![[Photo] Young people of the Dong Thap Border Guard actively participate in "March Border Month" activities.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/03/23/1774248483508_ndo_tl_dt3-jpg.webp)
Comment (0)