Collector Nguyen Quoc Dung (second from left) donates antiques to Lam Dong Museum
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung (48 years old, Da Lat) does not remember when he became passionate about memorabilia and antiques, but he remembers that since he was a child, he loved and cherished old things. In 2001, he started collecting, at first mainly metal items with the nature of "I love science" such as: watches, cassettes, cameras... gradually he focused on collecting memorabilia and antiques with cultural and historical values, and diverse materials.
For the past 25 years, Mr. Dung has traveled to all the villages in the Central Highlands. He has searched for unique, strange, and beautiful items wherever he heard of them. The more he traveled, the more fascinated he became. He had to go back and forth many times to find many items. His love and passion for tangible cultural heritage urged him to search and constantly think, "I was born with a destiny and a mission to preserve and protect artifacts that are gradually disappearing." He used the money he earned from his coffee garden to collect. He became a young collector who was active in the Lam Dong UNESCO Club.
Looking at his “fortune” of more than 30 thousand antiques and memorabilia, all materials, types, periods, and the past of the Central Highlands seem to be present. Hundreds of collections from gongs, buffalo skin drums, musical instruments, to production tools, hunting and gathering, and daily necessities of the K'Ho, Churu, Cham, Ede, Bana, Gia Rai ethnic groups... are diverse in design, type, and rich in materials: ceramic, porcelain, bronze, iron, wood, bamboo... Witnessing his massive “warehouse” of antiques, everyone cannot help but be amazed by the jars, pots, cups, plates made of ceramic, gongs, trumpets, and buffalo skin drums; and also the souvenirs and household items of bygone times: bamboo baskets, baskets, crossbows, mortars, pestles, rafts... as if seeing each fingerprint that makes the objects smooth and the sweat in the struggle to make a living, conquering nature of generations of ancestors.
Along with collecting and exchanging to satisfy his passion, Mr. Dung has coordinated with tourist areas and spots in the province to bring cultural artifacts to the public for visitors to admire. He brought his antiques to many places, displayed at many cultural events, at the Kate Festival of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan, the Gong Culture Festival of the Central Highlands. Most recently, at the Art Street on Ly Tu Trong Street - Da Lat with hundreds of large and small baskets, buffalo skin drums and jewelry that created a strong attraction. Wherever he brought the artifacts to display, on his days off, he often went there as a "tour guide" to introduce each of his antiques so that the public could better understand each antique associated with each period, each historical stage. Just like that, quietly working, quietly collecting, quietly dedicating everything he could do.
I met Mr. Dung more than 15 years ago at the 4th Dalat Flower Festival - 2009, impressed by thousands of indigenous cultural artifacts in the nostalgic exhibition space at the Dalat Railway Station National Monument. Then his jar exhibition in the tourist space of Mong Mo Hill, Cu Lan Village and in the Memory Land cafe... Feeling the passionate, loyal love of a young person for the national cultural heritage, from a young age until now, his hair has begun to have silver strands.
Mr. Dung's idea of donating antiques started 3 years ago, when his collection of artifacts was overloaded, while museums were in dire need of artifacts for display to serve visitors, study and research. Then, the Cham artifacts were given to the Cham Cultural Center of Ninh Thuan province; the souvenirs and antiques of the K'Ho and Churu people were given to the Lam Dong Museum, Dung K'no commune, K'Ho ethnic traditional village in Da Chais commune (Lac Duong), Dam Pao village - Da Don commune (Lam Ha); the jewelry sets of women from ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands were given to the Southern Women's Museum... Up to now, he has donated 5 museums and traditional cultural exhibition houses in and outside the province; a total of more than 500 artifacts of great historical and cultural value.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung confided that if he kept it for himself, no one would know about it. He wanted many people to admire the artifacts so that together they could preserve the national cultural heritage. By donating artifacts to worthy organizations, placing trust in the right person, in the right place, and in the right place, his artifacts will increasingly develop in value and become known to many people. He felt that his efforts in searching and collecting were not in vain. In the future, he will continue to donate suitable antiques to museums.
Mr. Hoang Ngoc Huy - Director of Lam Dong Museum highly appreciated the contributions of collector Nguyen Quoc Dung in preserving, conserving and promoting the national cultural heritage. From ancient artifacts dating back to the souvenirs donated by Mr. Dung, they have vividly demonstrated the material and spiritual life during the process of labor, production, conquering nature, and hunting and gathering of ethnic minorities in Lam Dong. The donation of artifacts by Mr. Dung has contributed to enriching the artifacts of Lam Dong Museum, attracting tourists, thereby multiplying the love for the national cultural heritage.
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202502/25-nam-luu-giu-di-san-van-hoa-tay-nguyen-a2a530e/
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