In 1902, the L’École Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) proposed to the Governor General of Indochina about the construction of a museum in Da Nang to gather and store Cham artifacts.

However, 13 years later, in 1915, the 350m²-wide rectangular house named Les Chams au Musée de Tourane was built, marking a new stage in storing and preserving Cham cultural heritages found by researchers in the provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Kon Tum.

In 1935, the French continued to build two blocks of ground houses on the right and left sides of the old one. Also, a house behind the old one, currently known as the Tra Kieu exhibition area, was also constructed. All increased the total usable area of the museum to nearly 800m².

Online tours help residents and visitors easily access the museum. Photo: T.Y

Home to housands of Cham artifacts

Although work started on the Les Chams au Musée de Tourane in 1915, it officially opened its doors to the public in 1919. About 160 Cham artifacts, collected by archaeologists and researched for 20 years, were on display, making it become a cultural highlight in Da Nang at that time.

According to the research work Hindu - Buddhist Art of Viet Nam, Treasures from Champa by Dr. Guillon Emmanuel from the USA published in 1997, the birth of the Les Chams au Musée de Tourane during that period helped the research, archaeological excavation and collection of Cham artifacts continue to be deployed and promoted in Da Nang and its neighbouring localities.

Specifically mentioned were two large-scale excavations conducted in Quang Nam Province’s Tra Kieu relic site in 1927-1928 and in Binh Dinh Province’s Thap Ma relic site in 1934.

In order to create a space to display Cham sculptures dating from the 7^th - the 14^th centuries, the French expanded the museum by nearly 400m² in 1935. At the inauguration ceremony for the expanded museum in on March 11, 1936, Governor General of Indochina Eugène Jean Louis René Robin announced the decision to change the museum’s name to the Henri Parmentier Museum (Musée Henri Parmentier) under the witness of King Bao Dai in a bid to mark the merits of French architect Henri Parmentier.

After the inauguration ceremony, the number of exhibits on display at the museum increased to nearly 300. However, when the Indochina war occurred, many Cham artifacts at the museum were stolen and taken everywhere. EFEO later had to send people to search and recover each artifact.

Since the reunification of the country in 1975, the archaeological excavations and collections of Cham artifacts continued to be carried out in a number of locations with many exposed relics such as Dong Duong, Chien Dan, Qua Giang, An My, Cam Mit, Cam Mit and Phong Le.

Director of the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture Ho Tan Tuan remarked that after many upgrades and expansions, the museum's area is about 7,319m², and about 2,000m² are earmarked to display ancient relics.

“Whether new construction or upgrading or repair, we still aim to maintain the status quo and the existing architecture. Currently, with relatively limited space, the museum does a good job of welcoming delegations of visitors and preserving artifacts, but there is no place for visitors to sit back and read more related documents and books" said Mr. Tuan.

Immersing in the flow of culture

The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture now has six objects to be bestowed Viet Nam's national treasure status, namely the Ganesha and Gajasimha statutes, the Tara Bodhisattva Statue, and the Tra Kieu, My Son E1 and Dong Duong pedestals.

In addition to the collection and preservation function, how to make the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture a regular destination for residents and visitors is always a major headache for the museum’s managers.

Mr. Nguyen Ho, Head of the Collection, Preservation and Display Department of the city’s Museum of Cham Sculpture, said that the responsibility for preservation of Cham artifacts was put on top by the museum due to a large number Cham artifacts and their historical and cultural value.

Additionally, the museum has taken a handful of effective solutions to promote the value of Cham heritages, initially bringing positive effects.

One of the most highlights is to the virtual tourism system, called ‘A Virtual Vacation in Da Nang’. The Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre-developed virtual tourism system is created based on technologies of 3D Scan and VR360. With this platform, users can experience a virtual tour to discover the Museum of Cham Sculpture wherever they are. With just one click, guests can experience 3D, multi-dimensional, 360-degree rotating views at 4 galleries of My Son, Tra Kieu, Dong Duong and Thap Mam.

The VR360 reality technology solution also makes it easy for visitors to interact, move to their favorite display spaces, and feel like they are at the museum.

According to Mr. Ho, the information on artifacts is displayed in both Vietnamese and English, helping international tourists easily access the Champa cultural values in Da Nang in particular and Viet Nam in general.

Mr. Ho Tan Tuan said that since early the year, the museum has completed the arrangement of 371 exhibits in the warehouse on podiums and pedestals, ensuring safety and scientific principles in management and storage. At the same time, 130 artifacts have been attached the Quick Response (QR) codes, thereby facilitating the inventory, preservation, display and research activities.

“The attachment of QR codes helps the inventory and monitoring of museum staff to take place quickly, scientifically and accurately, and at the same time helps those with research needs easily access information and records of exhibits. In addition to the conservation value, the application of information technology in sightseeing activities has helped the Cham heritage values to go beyond the display space and blend into the cultural and historical flow of the country" emphasised Mr.Tuan.

Reporting by TIEU YEN - Translating by M.DUNG