Meet the keeper of the soul and essence of print journalism.

Mr. Nguyen Phi Dung, the owner of a vast treasure trove, is always welcoming whenever visitors come to see it.

In the context of rapidly developing technology, readers are becoming increasingly familiar with online newspapers through compact devices. However, amidst the hustle and bustle of life, there is still someone who diligently collects and preserves printed newspapers as a way to cherish the core values ​​of Vietnamese journalism throughout different periods.

Not only is Mr. Nguyen Phi Dung well-known in the fields of electronics, information technology, and computers in Nam Dinh province, but he is also a leading newspaper collector in Vietnam. We had the opportunity to visit his "treasure trove" of newspapers, and although we only met him for a short time, everyone could feel his intense passion for printed newspapers. Witnessing the things he has painstakingly collected and preserved, we realize that his work has profound value for future generations.

Mr. Nguyen Phi Dung, born in 1961, currently lives in Nam Dinh city. Since 2016, he has been collecting all kinds of old newspapers published in Vietnam. Through connections in the antique collecting community and social media, Mr. Dung quickly hunts down and buys newspapers. He only needs a phone call mentioning a place selling newspapers, and he will go there to buy them. To date, his collection has approximately over 400,000 newspapers from more than 1,000 different titles, estimated to weigh nearly 21 tons. Notably, among them are newspapers hundreds of years old, worth tens of millions of dong, or early revolutionary newspapers such as Cuu Quoc, Doc Lap, Co Giai Phong, Gia Dinh Bao… which have historical value. In November 2024, the Vietnam Record Organization awarded Mr. Nguyen Phi Dung a certificate recognizing him as the collector of the largest number of newspapers published in Vietnam from the late 19th century to the present.

Understanding that old newspaper issues would become difficult to find over time, Mr. Dung considered his collection of newspapers as "treasures" and carefully preserved them. Mr. Dung shared: "In the past, my father, Mr. Nguyen Phi Hung, had a hobby of reading, collecting, and binding newspapers from the 1970s, but due to difficult living conditions, he had to sell them. After his death, I continued to keep and preserve the newspapers my father collected. In 2016, when I had more resources, I began searching for and storing old newspaper issues from the previous century."

Many of the first issues of major national newspapers are stored in Mr. Dung's warehouse.

In his collection room, thousands of newspapers are neatly arranged and categorized by subject, genre, time period, and topicality. Concerned about preservation methods, Mr. Nguyen Phi Dung has explored various approaches, including installing air conditioners, fire safety systems, and dehumidifiers, maintaining a room temperature of 20-22 degrees Celsius to prevent insect infestation. For particularly rare and valuable newspapers, he carefully wraps each sheet in plastic and places them in glass cabinets. He also actively participates in forums to learn, share, and collect more from organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally. For him, newspapers reflect information about life, economics, politics , culture, and society throughout the country's history. Preserving these publications allows future generations to understand how their ancestors lived, fought, and defended the country, as well as to see the nation's development over different periods.

Over time, the volume of newspapers has increased, making it difficult to preserve them intact, and conservation efforts have become increasingly challenging. Mr. Dung hopes to soon have the first private newspaper museum in Vietnam and wishes for relevant authorities to facilitate his aspiration of archiving and preserving publications, as well as digitizing them for future generations.

Hoang Duong

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/16/200462/Gap-go-nguoi-luu-giu-hon-cot,-tinh-tuy-cua-bao-giay.htm