EXHIBITION “BINH DINH CULTURAL HERITAGE – A CONVERGENCE OF EXCELLENCE”

On the morning of May 17, 2025, the Quang Trung Museum, in collaboration with the Binh Dinh Provincial Museum, organized the opening of a thematic photo exhibition: “Binh Dinh Cultural Heritage – A Convergence of Excellence”. This event is of practical significance, aiming to celebrate International Museum Day on May 18, 2025, and the 135th anniversary of the birth of the great President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025).

Việt Nam•19/05/2025

Attending the opening ceremony were: Mr. Ta Xuan Chanh - Former Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Binh Dinh Province; Mr. Huynh Van Loi - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Dinh Province; Mr. Bui Van My - Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tay Son District; Heads of functional departments and units under the Department; Leaders of departments, boards and branches of Tay Son District, along with 300 students from the district.

Delegates attending the opening of the exhibition.

Binh Dinh – a land where many cultures intersect, is a convergence point of numerous tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites with enduring value. As of 2025, the province has 149 historical sites, including 2 special national sites, 34 national sites, and 113 provincial sites. The system of tangible cultural heritage is rich and unique, especially the Champa cultural relics. Currently, the province has 8 clusters and 14 relatively intact Champa towers, among which Duong Long Tower was classified as a special national site in 2015.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung, Deputy Director of Quang Trung Museum, delivered the opening speech for the exhibition.

The delegates performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the exhibition.

Besides tangible cultural heritage, there is also the convergence of the essence of 6 intangible cultural heritages that have been included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, including: the essence of Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts (2012); Hat Boi and Bai Choi Art (2014); Ba Pagoda Festival - Nuoc Man Port (2022); Van Dam Xuong Ly Fishing Festival (2024); and the craft of making horse-riding conical hats in Phu Gia (2024). Among these, Central Vietnamese folk Bai Choi Art was honored by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2017.

Quang Trung battle drum performance at the opening ceremony.

Traditional martial arts - A unique intangible cultural heritage of Binh Dinh province.

The land of "spiritual and talented people" Binh Dinh is also the homeland of the three Tay Son brothers: Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue, and Nguyen Lu. Currently, the Quang Trung Museum is tasked with preserving and promoting the value of Tay Son-era relics such as: the temple of the parents of the Tay Son Three Heroes; the tomb of the ancestor of the Tay Son Three Heroes; the Kinh Thien Tower relic; the temple of Admiral Bui Thi Xuan; the temple of Grand Minister Vo Van Dung; the ancient 300-year-old tamarind tree and well in the Tay Son family garden relic area… The Tay Son Three Heroes Temple relic area was classified as a Special National Monument in 2014.

A performance of traditional Bài Chòi folk singing at the opening ceremony.

Delegates experience playing Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese card game).

Binh Dinh is also the birthplace of many prominent cultural figures and national heroes in history, such as: Hero Nguyen Trung Truc; Patriot Mai Xuan Thuong; Patriot Vo Duy Duong; Patriot Tang Bat Ho; the renowned figure Dao Duy Tu; the cultural figure Dao Tan; Poet Xuan Dieu; Poet Che Lan Vien; Poet Han Mac Tu... The relics associated with the names of these famous figures are not only places of remembrance but also symbols of patriotism, national pride, and the education of historical traditions for present and future generations.

The delegates listened to a presentation introducing the cultural heritage of Binh Dinh.

The exhibition, taking place from May 17th to May 20th, 2025, aims to introduce to the public 150 images and documents about the unique cultural heritage of Binh Dinh. In addition to images and documents, there will be traditional art performances such as: performances of the Quang Trung battle drums and traditional martial arts; and folk singing of Bài Chòi – a distinctive cultural feature of the "Land of Martial Arts". The works displayed at the exhibition "Binh Dinh Cultural Heritage – A Convergence of Excellence" present a vibrant and colorful picture of typical cultural heritage forms of Binh Dinh, honoring the beauty of the land and people of Binh Dinh; contributing to preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage, spreading and connecting the community, and promoting the sustainable development of "the land of martial arts and literary culture" – Binh Dinh.