A historical tour

Stamp collection from the CSO museum. Photo: XS

The "guide" of this historical tour has spent decades pursuing, searching, and conquering, creating each unique collection. Mr. Tran Huu Tai, by chance, chose Hoi An as the place to house his entire collection.

Dialogue with "Kieu"

In 2022, at the Vietnam Record Holders' Reunion program, the Vietnam Record Organization (VietKings) established and awarded the record for "The person with the largest collection of diverse publications and items related to the Tale of Kieu" to Mr. Tran Huu Tai.

This man was overcome with emotion when his name was called. Beyond just his possessions, the publications and artifacts related to The Tale of Kieu are as important to him as breathing.

Tran Huu Tai said he was delighted whenever he collected special manuscripts related to the works of Tien Dien. At CSO Gallery, in the very first space, a collection of over 1,000 editions of The Tale of Kieu in Nom script, Quoc Ngu script, and many other languages ​​published domestically and in several countries around the world is displayed. This number is not all the publications Mr. Tran Huu Tai has collected. If accurate, his collection of The Tale of Kieu editions numbers up to 1,630 editions.

Among these are some very famous editions, once considered "treasures" by book collectors of all ages. Mr. Vuong Hong Sen once mentioned in his work "The Hobby of Collecting Books": "The volume I've always wanted and searched for but haven't found is 'Kim Tuy Tinh Tu' by Mr. Pham Kim Chi, published in 1917 in Saigon."

And strangely enough, this is also the version that Tran Huu Tai had the good fortune to find and bring back to his collection. In addition, Mr. Tai's collection of The Tale of Kieu also includes the 1906 Nôm version of "The Tale of Kieu" printed by Lieu Van Duong printing house ( Hanoi ), "The Tale of Kieu Collection by Miss B" from 1930, and "A Collection of Literary and Artistic Works Commemorating Nguyen Du" from 1942...

Not to mention, other publications related to Truyện Kiều, including articles in magazines and newspapers published from the early 20th century such as Nông Cổ Mín Đàm (1916), Nam Phong (1919), Trung Bắc Tân Văn (1924), Nam Kỳ (1942) were also collected by this man from Southern Vietnam.

The space dedicated to the Tale of Kieu at CSO Gallery also features 30 paintings of Kieu by famous artists. Antique porcelain vases and plates illustrating the Tale of Kieu, musical scores, and artistic calendar publications about the Tale of Kieu have all become items in his collection.

“I’ve always thought that everything, every encounter that comes my way, is a matter of fate, a deliberate arrangement by destiny. For example, while searching for copies of The Tale of Kieu at a used bookstore, I chatted with the owner. Through him, I had the good fortune to meet his teacher and collect many antique editions of the masterpiece by the great poet Nguyen Du,” said Mr. Tran Huu Tai.

Preserving culture

Treasures, if kept only for oneself, are only known to the collector themselves. The hobby of collecting antiques, at a deeper level, is a heartfelt desire to preserve the precious heritage that our ancestors painstakingly cultivated... That's why Vuong Hong Sen, one of Vietnam's most reputable antique collectors, once conveyed a message to antique collectors: live with professional ethics.

Some editions of The Tale of Kieu in Mr. Tran Huu Tai's collection. Photo: XS

If collectors appreciate and preserve the historical, cultural, and artistic values ​​of their ancestors embodied in each antique, they will naturally find inner peace and cultivate virtuous conduct.

Antiques possess cultural value, conveying the message of the era in which they were created. Each antique has its own "voice" of a historical period. And this spirit of giving is what Tran Huu Tai chose when he decided to open a gallery showcasing the items he had collected over more than 20 years of his life.

He chose Hoi An because it is a melting pot of diverse cultures, evidenced by its current tourist numbers and historical journey. A mission to connect world cultures, history, and knowledge through a love of collecting has begun.

A representative from CSO stated that, in the vast world of collecting with diverse themes, CSO Gallery has chosen its own path. Its guiding principle is preserving the culture of our ancestors and exploring world history. Like a journey back in time through historical stories and the narratives of the artifacts, the past comes to life vividly.

If the space dedicated to the Tale of Kieu is a tribute to the precious heritage of our ancestors, then the time-worn coins from the rise and fall of the nation's dynasties, and the banknotes from countries around the world, open up another dimension in approaching history.

Mr. Tran Huu Tai recounted the story of the Maria Theresa Thaler silver coin in the coin collection on display. According to him, the Maria Theresa Thaler silver coin is named after Queen Maria Theresa (born in 1717 in Vienna, Austria).

She was the daughter of Emperor Karl VI, the first and only female ruler of the powerful Habsburg empire in 18th-century Europe. This coin, first minted under her reign in 1741, quickly became the most trusted silver coin in the Middle East and Africa.

And that is just one of the many stories that the exhibited artifacts carry, waiting to be discovered...

Nearly a year after its opening, CSO has become a special destination for tourists exploring Hoi An. CSO currently features six exhibition areas showcasing 77 collections with over 20,000 items, dating from 50 years to over 2,000 years old. The three main categories of these collections are the national treasure, the Tale of Kieu; coins, banknotes, and stamps from Vietnam and other countries around the world.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/mot-chuyen-tham-quan-lich-su-3147343.html