Record holder obsessed with antiques

Currently, Huynh Minh Hiep holds many records.

Records recognized by the Global Vietnamese Records Organization: Lua Cafe - The place displaying the largest number of artifacts recreating old Saigon (before 1975); The Vietnamese person owning the largest collection of movie programs, posters, and documents and artifacts about Vietnamese cải lương (traditional opera) before 1975.

Records recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization: The person with the largest collection of currencies from countries around the world in Vietnam; The person with the largest collection of market vouchers and artifacts/documents related to the Covid-19 pandemic in various localities of Vietnam; The Lua Xua coffee shop - a place displaying the largest number of artifacts recreating old Saigon (before 1975); The Vietnamese person with the largest collection of program posters for movies shown in theaters and documentary artifacts about Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) before 1975.

Record holder Huynh Minh Hiep

"H AI LÚA" (Traditional Vietnamese Rice)

He often refers to himself as a "country bumpkin," but I heard he was born into a prestigious family in the land of the wealthy Bac Lieu princes?

Huynh Minh Hiep: My great-grandfather was the Governor of Bac Lieu, one of the four people who followed Mac Thien Tu from Chaozhou to develop this land. My maternal great-grandfather was Cao Trieu Phat (1889 - 1956), an intellectual who served as a representative in the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and as an advisor to the Southern Resistance Administrative Committee. My great-grandfather served as an official under Emperor Khai Dinh and later resigned to return to Bac Lieu to marry and have children. To commemorate this event, he named his children in order from oldest to youngest: Kieu, Trieu, Nam, Khai, Dinh.

With such a distinguished family background, surely a path of roses has been laid out for him as he embarks on his life's journey?

Not at all. At 18, I was struggling to make a living by playing drums to get by. So I went to bartending school. By the age of 20, I had earned my bartending certificate to "improve" my life. Later, I started acting, beginning with minor roles, then gradually getting slightly bigger roles… I always try to learn and work as hard as I can to make my life better each day.

Movie posters from before 1975, collected by Huynh Minh Hiep.

He now owns two impressive cafes in Ho Chi Minh City, Lúa Cafe and Phiim Cafe, which also house thousands of artifacts that have set numerous records. So, when did his passion for collecting begin?

I must say that Lúa Coffee and Phiim Coffee are not solely owned by me; they are a collaboration with actress Kim Tuyến. My passion for collecting memorabilia began with my grandfather and father. My grandfather preserved dozens of sweet and romantic love letters for decades. My father, during his lifetime, had a unique collection of ancient coins. Initially, I decided to keep my grandfather's love letters, especially my father's "treasures" of ancient coins. Later, I collected other types of ancient coins. Among them, I consider the more than 200 "foundation-covering" coins, also known as stamped coins from the Southern Administrative Resistance Committee, to be my treasure. These are extremely rare, only used for 5 years (1948-1952), during the period when paper currency for Southern Vietnam was being awaited. In 2006, on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the State Bank of Vietnam, I was invited to Hanoi by the then Governor of the State Bank, Mr. Nguyen Van Giau, to give a presentation on this type of currency…

How did you manage to find such a huge collection of memorabilia?

Thanks to my research on the preservation of Vietnamese antiquities at the UNESCO Center from 2005 to the present, I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with many collectors and researchers, which has facilitated my collecting. I also seek out artifacts from various sources. For example, when I learned online that a collector owned two motorcycles from the Bảo Đại era, I immediately set out to find them. After many attempts to persuade him, on the fifth occasion, while chatting and showing off my magic tricks, the collector was so impressed that he relented and sold them to me.

The first Lunar New Year newspapers after the country's reunification.

Besides the record-breaking artifacts in his collections, what other unique items does he have that he hasn't revealed yet?

There are also hundreds of sheet music covers by the late talented musician Y Vân, a monetary reward certificate from Emperor Bảo Đại to Deputy Governor of Hàm Thuận (Bình Thuận) Phạm Viết Thức (1942), an introduction to the Indochina era (announcing the cancellation of currency), an announcement on the printing of the last five types of currency of the Republic of Vietnam (1972), an announcement on currency exchange by the Chairman of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam, Huỳnh Tấn Phát (1975), and silver coins of the Funan Kingdom. Particularly noteworthy are the 20 đồng banknote bearing the seal of the Resistance Administrative Committee of Nhơn Ái village, Châu Thành district, Cần Thơ province, and old newspapers… Among the oldest newspapers, the Gia Định Báo, published on September 2, 1890, stands out; I searched for this for over 10 years before finally finding it in the North. I also possess a copy of Lục Tỉnh Tân Văn, which even the Ho Chi Minh City Museum only has a photocopy of…

I admire Huynh Minh Hiep because he is a young man who loves antiques and has a heart for preserving the national cultural heritage in the face of the "bleeding" of antiques abroad. Hiep's collections are very unique. He deserves to be a prominent figure among the many who cherish and protect the "soul" of old Saigon and present-day Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Nguyen Van Que, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Cultural Heritage Association

Have you ever considered selling your collection?

I haven't sold any items, but I've donated them to many museums. I also participate in these cultural and humanitarian programs without any self-interest. During the recent Lunar New Year of the Rabbit, I brought my entire collection of old Saigon memorabilia to recreate the atmosphere of old Saigon in many places in Ho Chi Minh City. Among them, the old Saigon space at the City Party Committee Office, where an event was held to welcome nearly 1,000 overseas Vietnamese, left a strong impression on city leaders, especially the overseas Vietnamese. Hearing overseas Vietnamese say that the old Saigon space was truly beautiful and that the city sent a letter of praise to "my shop," made me very happy.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/ky-luc-gia-me-do-xua-18523050200533742.htm