Bringing the museum out of the glass case, touching the hearts of young people

HISTORY IN A NEW CLOTH

To understand the history and culture of a land or a country, start with museums, which preserve, recount and spread the value of local heritage.

The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History (No. 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) is located right next to the Zoo. The predecessor of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History is Musée Blanchard de la Brosse. This is considered the first museum in the south, established in 1929.

- Ảnh 1. — Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History is one of the destinations that attracts many tourists.

The museum has more than 40,000 artifacts associated with many different stages of development of Vietnamese history, opening up a vivid journey through time. In particular, the museum is preserving 12 national treasures, artifacts that are especially rare and valuable, representing Vietnamese culture.

In August 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History launched its new brand identity and received a wave of positive support from the public. No longer a quiet exhibition space, the museum has now become a cultural meeting place where young people find connection with history through products with a new breath.

According to Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History, the museum's announcement of a new brand identity stems from the need for innovation and integration in the current development stage.

"We realize that museums are not only places to preserve and display artifacts, but also must become a friendly, close and attractive cultural and educational space for the public, especially the young. In the context of the digital media explosion, brand image plays the role of a gateway for the public to enter the world of heritage. Therefore, building a new identity is a necessary step for the museum to have a more modern, synchronous and professional appearance," said Dr. Tuan.

However, this journey is not easy. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan calls it a problem of "reconciling tradition and modernity". Maintaining solemnity while still being attractive to the public requires both sophistication and determination. However, the results came faster than expected, the museum's fanpage surpassed 2 million visits as soon as the new identity was launched; the website reached 4,000 - 5,000 visits/month, numbers that were unprecedented before. Behind this progress is a strategic partnership with the Gen Z creative group Zám Agency.

"We understand that only when young people speak their language can heritage truly touch their hearts. With the slogan "History is never old", the new identity conveys the message that history is a bridge between the present and the future, in line with the spirit of "Museums are the future of tradition" of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). It shows that museums not only preserve the past, but also nurture creative inspiration and evoke national pride in the young generation", said Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan.

Preserve the old, renew the existing

In a nearly 100-year-old French-style building, renovating the exhibition is a big challenge. "Every time we want to rearrange the space, we have to carefully calculate each step to both maintain the architectural value and create a new experience for visitors," said Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan.

- Ảnh 2. — Besides running the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History, Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan *(second from left)* also supports units in professional work.

We realize that museums are not only places to preserve and display artifacts, but also must become a friendly, close and attractive cultural and educational space for the public, especially the young. In the context of the digital media explosion, brand image plays the role of a gateway for the public to enter the world of heritage. Therefore, building a new identity is a necessary step for the museum to have a more modern, synchronous and professional appearance.

Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History

The biggest current limitation is the old facilities and the artifact warehouse that does not meet international standards. However, the team of professional staff, most of whom are well-trained and have been with the museum for many years, are still persistently improving each step: controlling temperature, humidity, and light, while implementing a plan to build a new standard 450 m² storage warehouse. At the same time, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History focuses on investing in people, a factor that Dr. Tuan calls the "golden key" for the museum's sustainable development.

Every year, the unit sends staff to attend training courses of ICCROM, FSPI (France), Department of Cultural Heritage and invites foreign experts to teach. Dr. Tuan said that in the coming time, the museum will expand the recruitment of young staff with qualifications in museology, digital media, and exhibition design, combined with rotating staff to learn practical experience from major museums in the region.

JOURNEY TO SPREAD HERITAGE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY

In recent years, along with the change in appearance, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History has become the focus of many community activities. Heritage education programs for students, cultural experience spaces and creative media projects have attracted a large public.

According to Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, to achieve that result, the museum has proactively expanded financial resources outside the budget, mobilized socialization and public-private cooperation. "Every investment must be linked to the mission of preserving and spreading historical and cultural values," he emphasized.

To measure effectiveness, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History does not only rely on the number of visitors or revenue, but also on the level of public satisfaction, media coverage and the pride that each citizen feels when entering the city's heritage space.

"We compete with creativity and responsibility, by each person contributing to making heritage more accessible," said Mr. Tuan. Thanks to the continuous efforts, the museum has been honored many times, and Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan has been recognized in the patriotic emulation movement of Ho Chi Minh City.

"The new brand identity and a series of innovations are just the beginning. We identify that the road ahead is full of challenges, but also full of opportunities. With the collective's cooperation, the companionship of society and the trust of the public, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History will continue to affirm its position as the "future of tradition", connecting the past with the present and inspiring the future", Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized.

Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan is one of 478 typical advanced examples in the patriotic emulation movement of Ho Chi Minh City in the period 2020 - 2025.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dua-bao-tang-ra-khoi-tu-kinh-cham-trai-tim-nguoi-tre-18525111521185378.htm