Back to memory lane with old things

With a passion for collecting objects bearing the cultural imprint of the countryside, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luan, in Linh Son commune, has spent more than ten years collecting and preserving thousands of old artifacts. In his small house, Mr. Luan has created a special space - where each object can tell its own story...

Foreign tourists enjoy experiencing the rice threshing machine.

Museum of Memory

Mr. Luan's childhood was associated with thatched roofs, brick yards, soy sauce jars, wood stoves, the sound of rice pounding... Those simple memories are deeply imprinted in his mind, urging him to find, collect and preserve seemingly small values ​​that are gradually being forgotten in the modern pace of life.

“At first, I just wanted to keep a few souvenirs from my grandparents to remember my childhood. But the more I learned, the more I realized that those objects contained a long-standing culture. I was determined to collect more, not only to satisfy my passion but also to preserve traditional values,” Mr. Luan shared.

To have the “fortune” he has today, he had to spend many years wandering around the Northern countryside. Sometimes, to exchange for an old copper pot or a rusty oil lamp, he had to persuade the homeowner all day long. Some items were bought with money, some were gifts from people with the same passion, all were cherished and treasured by him as priceless treasures.

Stepping into Mr. Luan’s exhibition space, everyone feels like they are returning to old memories. The house is elaborately decorated by him, recreating almost completely the image of a house of the people in the Northern region in the early 20th century.

The antique wooden table and chairs are placed in the middle room with a blue-glazed tea set, lime pot, and pipe - familiar items in Vietnamese life. Next to it is a cabinet decorated with contemporary items. Each object is arranged according to its function and space of use in the past, making viewers feel like they are living in their grandparents' house in the past.

Boiling water on a wood stove - an image that evokes the cozy and rustic atmosphere of old life.

Highlights in the collection are hundreds of traditional agricultural tools such as fans, mills, threshers, rice mortars, sickles, plows, harrows, baskets and trays... items that were once closely associated with the working life of farmers. According to Mr. Luan, each agricultural tool has its own historical value, clearly reflecting the industrious and creative life of Vietnamese people through each period.

Pointing to each object, Mr. Luan explained: This chest fan is over 70 years old, used to winnow rice; this threshing machine, before every harvest season the whole village gathered to thresh rice with it. Looking back now, I see a whole childhood rushing back.

Not only does he collect, he also meticulously researches the origin, age, and function of each object. To him, each item is a “witness” of history, reflecting the culture and lifestyle of the ancient Vietnamese people. In the kitchen, he still keeps the three-legged tripod, the shiny black kettle, and the pair of hand-cut bamboo chopsticks. In the corner of the yard are a set of stone mills for grinding soybeans, a wooden pestle for pounding rice, and a jar for storing rainwater - all carefully preserved to avoid damage over time.

Mr. Luan said that the most precious thing in the collection is not its material value but its spiritual value, which is the memory, the nostalgia, the stories of past generations. He hopes that when his descendants come here, they will understand more about the life of their ancestors, about the industrious, simple but profound tradition of the Vietnamese people.

Spreading Vietnamese culture

Since the collection was completed, Mr. Luan’s house has not only been a place to preserve memories but also a destination for tourists from near and far. Many domestic and foreign tourist groups have come here to visit, learn and experience.

Mr. Luan often guides and introduces each artifact himself, telling the story associated with each item, helping viewers feel more deeply the value of the past. He excitedly said: Foreigners are very interested in experiencing Vietnamese culture through everyday objects like this. They say that in their country, similar items are almost no longer available, so when they come here, it is like they are traveling back in time.

The space displaying ancient artifacts at Mr. Luan's house has bold traditional architecture.

His exhibition space is therefore not only a place to "live out his passion" but also contributes to spreading traditional cultural values, helping visitors understand and love more the simple and sincere Vietnamese people.

In an era of rapidly developing technology, when many traditional material and spiritual values ​​are gradually forgotten, it is valuable that a young person like Nguyen Thanh Luan devotes his heart to preserving relics of the past.

Despite many difficulties, from funding, storage space to preserving artifacts - he still perseveres with that work as he sincerely confided: Sometimes my family doesn't understand, asking why I collect old things. But for me, each item is a part of my memory. If I don't keep it, tomorrow no one will remember it anymore.

He is planning to expand the exhibition space, combining it with experiential activities such as cooking rice in clay pots, pounding rice, milling flour, weaving, etc. so that visitors, especially children, can directly participate and fully experience the atmosphere of the old countryside.

Nguyen Thanh Luan’s antique space is not only a collection of artifacts, but also a slice of memory - where viewers can find the rustic, simple yet profound beauty of rural life in the North. Amidst the modern pace of life, the small house in Linh Son still quietly retains its “old soul”, like a low note in a vibrant harmony.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202511/ve-mien-ky-uc-voi-nhung-mon-do-xua-d6952be/