More than 1,000 artifacts and documents are waiting for... management

VHO - More than 1,000 artifacts and documents that were once kept and displayed at the Hue Culture Museum, later the Thuan Hoa District Culture, Information and Sports Center, are still waiting to be received and their value promoted.

The artifacts at the former Thuan Hoa District Cultural, Information and Sports Center have not had their value fully utilized.

Both locals and tourists in Hue are familiar with the two buildings in the distinctive French architectural complex at 23-25 ​​Le Loi Street, on the southern bank of the Perfume River. For many years, this area has served as a space for organizing community cultural activities for both locals and visitors.

Connected to this are well-planned tourist spaces and cultural sites along the riverbank, including: Diem Phung Thi Art Center, Le Ba Dang Art Center, Lieu Quan Buddhist Cultural Center, and a space for displaying and introducing traditional Hue crafts and products…

This is also because the Hue Cultural Museum has been "closed down".

Previously, in 2012, after the People's Committee of Hue City (formerly) moved its headquarters to the new Public Administration Center, the local government allowed the establishment of the Hue Cultural Museum and the use of the building at 23-25 ​​Le Loi Street to store and preserve collected artifacts, as well as to display collections and organize related cultural activities.

However, after only 8 years, the name Hue Cultural Museum was "killed off" because it had to merge with other units and was renamed the Hue City Cultural, Information and Sports Center (formerly); the land and documents and artifacts at 23-25 ​​Le Loi Street were also converted to a different form of operation than before.

From January 1, 2025, the former city of Hue was divided into two districts, Thuan Hoa and Phu Xuan. This building and its artifacts and documents were handed over to the Thuan Hoa District Cultural, Information and Sports Center for management. After several mergers and divisions, the museum's primary function is no longer maintained, and the facilities, equipment, operating budget, and human resources for museum work are no longer sufficient…

Before implementing the two-tiered local government model, the Thuan Hoa District Cultural, Information and Sports Center submitted reports and proposals requesting the transfer of documents and artifacts from the building at 23-25 ​​Le Loi Street to the Hue City History Museum for safe preservation and to promote their value in accordance with its professional functions and duties.

Regarding this matter, at the end of May 2025, the People's Committee of Hue City also issued a document agreeing on the principle of transferring documents and artifacts currently stored at the Thuan Hoa District Cultural, Information and Sports Center to the City History Museum, and simultaneously assigned the Department of Culture and Sports and the People's Committee of Thuan Hoa District to carry out the handover and acceptance procedures in accordance with regulations.

An ancient stone stele inscribed with Cham script sits along the corridor of the French-style building at 23-25 ​​Le Loi Street, Hue City.

Waiting for handover again

To facilitate the handover, acceptance, management, and preservation of the artifacts, the City History Museum has assigned professional staff to assist in inventorying and packaging the artifacts, ensuring safety and compliance with regulations.

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Loc, Director of the Hue City History Museum, the inventory includes more than 1,000 documents and artifacts made of various materials, from ceramics, metal, and stone to wood, fabric, leather, and paper. The inventory was completed in June and is awaiting handover.

However, the Thuan Hoa District Cultural, Information and Sports Center later decided to retain some related artifacts and documents for its functional activities, so the handover was temporarily halted for review. It is known that the inventoried items include many valuable artifacts with historical and cultural significance, such as Champa artifacts and ancient stone steles.

Due to changes in function and operation, the former headquarters of the Thuan Hoa District Cultural, Information and Sports Center no longer has space to display and promote the value of its collection of documents and artifacts. Before the merger, many stone artifacts had to be placed along the corridors and steps, causing regret among many locals and tourists.

Many people expressed the view that, if the artifacts are not displayed and their value is not promoted, then a scientific preservation solution is needed; the handover process should be organized soon to ensure the safety of the artifacts.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Hoa Tranh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuan Hoa Ward, said that due to the local government's focus on implementing the two-tiered local government model in June, the process of transferring and receiving documents and artifacts at the former Thuan Hoa District Cultural, Information and Sports Center was temporarily interrupted.

Currently, Thuan Hoa ward has established a Public Service Center by merging it with the Children's House and the Urban Management Team, and reorganizing the Board of Directors, arranging and assigning departments according to function. Once the Thuan Hoa Ward Public Service Center is stable, the Ward People's Committee will direct the center to continue reviewing and compiling a list of suitable items to retain and transfer to the Hue City History Museum.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/hon-1000-hien-vat-tu-lieu-cho-noi-quan-ly-159541.html