Telling Kon Tum stories through antiques

The man quit his job at a foreign company to return to his hometown to pursue his passion for collecting antiques. After 15 years, he has owned more than 3,000 artifacts and antiques from prehistoric to modern times. He also cherishes the plan to open a museum to introduce interesting things about Kon Tum.

Origin of passion

The house of more than 2,000 ^m2 of Mr. Huynh Dang Hien's family (Tran Hung Dao Ward, Kon Tum City, Kon Tum Province) lies quietly under the trees. For a long time, the 46-year-old man has turned his house into a place to preserve antiques from tens of thousands of years ago.

Antique collection of Mr. Huynh Dang Hien

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

After many appointments, we finally had the opportunity to admire the collection of adzes, axes, hoes from the Stone Age and the coffins made from strangely colored tree trunks.

In the luxurious living room, Mr. Hien designed the areas to display artifacts in chronological order, giving visitors the feeling of traveling through time. Under the reception desk are thousands of stone adzes and axes from prehistoric times. Next is the area displaying bronze axes from the early metal age, several thousand years ago. The collection of Champa terracotta pipes is also given a solemn area for display.

All of these artifacts are carefully preserved by the owner under transparent tempered glass. At the end of the table are glass cabinets containing ceramic jars, pots, and pans of various styles. On the wall are wooden shelves displaying a jumble of canteens, bullet butts, and war memorabilia.

Mr. Hien confided that he was born and raised in Kon Tum. After graduating from Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, he joined a foreign company specializing in fertilizers and agricultural materials. This company has a pretty good compensation policy, as every year they send their employees on trips and experience foreign cultures.

During his travels , Mr. Hien was introduced to antiques and historical figures by the locals. Even everyday items that were used decades ago were preserved and introduced.

"They are very respectful and proud of historical cultural figures and archaeological artifacts of the land they live in. They keep everyday, familiar items such as baskets, trays, winnowing baskets, and trays. When tourists come to visit, they bring out those items to introduce. Not only does it develop tourism and services, collecting those items also has the meaning of preserving traditional values. So why don't we try it?", Mr. Hien shared.

When he returned to Vietnam, Mr. Hien always thought about collecting antiques, artifacts, and everyday items that were gradually being replaced and lost. However, it was not until 2008, after quitting his job at a foreign company, that Mr. Hien returned home and opened a store selling agricultural supplies. Only then did he have time to pursue his passion.

Telling about Kon Tum through antiques

For many years, Mr. Hien has been traveling around villages to collect antiques. It was here that he learned about the Lung Leng site (in Sa Binh commune, Sa Thay district, Kon Tum), which preserves traces of prehistoric people from tens of thousands of years ago.

Mr. Huynh Dang Hien owns hundreds of stone mortars of the Kinh people when he arrived in Kon Tum in the 19th century.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

"I heard that the local people have preserved many stone tools. These artifacts were collected by the people near the Lung Leng site. I immediately went there to find out and ask to buy them. Some items were easy to buy, but there were also items that required many trips and many ways of persuasion before the local people agreed to sell them," said Mr. Hien.

Here he collected tools made from stone, ceramics, bronze, and labor and production tools. To understand more about them, Mr. Hien read related documents and books. The deeper he studied, the more surprised he was when

Kon Tum has a long history and culture. However, for many years, this knowledge has only been contained in museums or scientific documents and has not been widely disseminated to the outside world.

"In other places, the local people know about the long history of their homeland. However, in Kon Tum, the mystery of a long period of time from ancient times to the Middle Ages has not yet been lifted. Therefore, tourists coming to Kon Tum only know about gongs and xoang dance. Why not tell a different story about Kon Tum from the discovered artifacts?", Mr. Hien wondered.

To date, Mr. Hien has owned more than 3,000 artifacts, most of which are stone artifacts such as stone axes with shoulders, buffalo-tooth shaped adzes, drilled stones, lamp stands, grinding tables, decorative ceramic pieces, and brass tools. Among them, there are some very rare types, with archaeological value that few people can collect. Most of these artifacts were collected by him at the Lung Leng site and neighboring areas.

Plan to open a museum

Mr. Hien said that the artifact he is most proud of is the bronze arrowhead mold shaped like a swallow's wing. This artifact is considered unique in the Central Highlands and was displayed at the 2023 National Archaeological Announcement Conference in Hanoi. This mold is highly appreciated by many archaeological research experts for its research value.

Mr. Hien owns a bronze arrow mold shaped like a swallow's wing, an antique considered unique in the Central Highlands.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

Not only collecting tools from the Stone Age, Mr. Hien also buys pottery, war relics and everyday items used by the local people such as coffins, wooden masks, tomb statues, and dugout canoes. In addition, there are many artifacts used by the Kinh people in production when they arrived in Kon Tum in the mid-19th century such as stone rice mills, wooden mortars, charcoal irons, plows, harrows, and wood saws.

Along with each artifact, Mr. Hien also reads documents to understand more about them. Up to now, after 15 years of research, he has a significant understanding of antiques as well as the history of the development of the land.

All the artifacts he collected are contained within the Kon Tum area. Therefore, it reflects quite fully the historical flow of culture and life that once took place on this land. That is why he only preserves and displays these artifacts and does not trade or exchange them for fear of cross-pollination. He said that he is cherishing the plan to build a private museum so that people can visit, learn, and know more interesting things about the Kon Tum land.

Mr. Pham Binh Vuong, Department of Culture and Family Management, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Kon Tum province, said that Mr. Hien's collection has special value, contributing significantly to the study of the cultural history of Kon Tum - Central Highlands in general and the archaeological site in Kon Tum in particular. "In the coming time, we will continue to consult and connect with experts to help Mr. Hien in inventory, classification, scientific preservation, as well as appraisal and clarification of information related to the artifacts," said Mr. Vuong.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ke-chuyen-kon-tum-bang-do-co-185250616225014097.htm