VHO - Recently, public opinion has had strong reactions when images of many artifacts displayed in the Vietnam Military Museum were touched by students and children during a tour organized by schools and parents.
Besides the suggestions to clarify the acts of violating artifacts and the awareness of parents when such situations occur, there are also some opinions suggesting that perhaps the relic conservation industry should have a different approach, so that visitors can approach the heritage relics more closely.
Painter Nguyen Thuong Hy, former Head of the Professional Department - Quang Nam Monuments and Landscapes Management Center, one of the people who have worked hard to research and participate in conservation activities, antique museums, artifacts... shared that he has many times joined national and international research and archaeological delegations to learn about the current status and issues of heritage conservation.
Through these experiences, he believes that the approach to heritage sites and relics by tourism management and research agencies should change their perspectives. “We should approach heritage sites through heritage spaces to make them more vivid and meaningful,” artist Nguyen Thuong Hy said.
The artist shared two stories that he personally experienced. Mr. Hy said that in 1999, he was assigned to lead a group of tourists to visit My Son relic (Duy Xuyen, Quang Nam), which was the delegation of the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam and Quang Nam. According to the plan, the group visited the ancient Cham Pa temple tower. When they arrived, the wife of the Indian Ambassador, wearing a simple white outfit, walked ahead of the group and entered the temple.
As the guide, Painter Hy quickly entered first and when he looked back, he realized that the Ambassador's wife and everyone else were taking off their shoes to enter. "Honestly, at that time, I didn't think there was a need for such a ritual, because the temple had not been cleaned properly for a long time and usually visitors also put on their shoes when entering.
I immediately turned around, bowed my head to apologize to everyone in the group, and also took off my shoes. However, the reaction of the group was very natural. They seemed to pay no attention to my actions, but were only solemnly concerned with their own ceremonial actions.
The Ambassador's wife and everyone else entered the temple with reverence and naturalness, as if they were returning to their own church.
Every step, every bow of the head, every tilt of the shoulder, shows a respectful and gentle attitude, as if they are facing their gods and ancestors," painter Nguyen Thuong Hy shared.
According to him, that was the first and only time an external diplomatic delegation helped him understand a problem.
That is cultural heritage not only lies in the exhibits or sites, destinations but also relates to the religious consciousness and beliefs of each person who has come into contact with and cherishes the heritage.
A temple or a mausoleum always contains strong spiritual beliefs. When entering it, people need to respect it as if all the sacred objects and worship spaces are still alive and vibrant.
“My recommendations after that, requiring visitors to always keep clean, to take off their shoes when entering heritage spaces, exhibition and worship places, were supported by many people and we always determined that heritage needs to be respected as an eternal living space that still has the rhythm and breath of life, not a dry, silent space,” the artist emphasized.
Continuing to share the second story, artist Nguyen Thuong Hy said that recently, in preparation for Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23), he and some colleagues took two Canadian tourists to the My Son sanctuary. Just like more than 20 years ago, he met a group of Indian tourists who were entering to worship at the Champa temple complex.
“Learning from experience, I and the tourists stood hidden inside tower B1, the main temple of My Son, and there was no explanation.
The group of Indian tourists entered, the two leaders quietly walked to the naturally exposed stone Linga-Yoni artifact.
The old man silently held a bottle of clean water in his right hand, slowly pouring it over the Linga's head, letting the water slowly wet the Yoni. The woman beside him extended her hand to support the man and began to recite respectful prayers.
The others gathered around and solemnly watched this ritual, which was called Abhishekam, the Pouring of Water on the Linga.”
At this point, the artist "opened a parenthesis", some people wondered whether tourists directly approaching heritage relics like that would be an encroachment, affecting, and whether such ritual behavior should be banned.
“I suddenly thought that perhaps we need another code of conduct, in addition to the current safety and security regulations for heritage and artifacts.
That is, with artifacts and natural heritages, located in certain heritage spaces, especially natural heritages and cultural life, that tourists come to visit with the intention of worshiping, learning, and performing certain religious rituals, should we create conditions for them to interact?
That will change the heritage space, truly breathe life into the heritage and make the heritage come alive again.
Perhaps, instead of just groups of tourists coming to take pictures and look around curiously, we need to build, protect and embellish more real-life cultural heritage spaces, bringing tourists to experience and enjoy the opportunity to better understand our cultural heritage, from the practice of solemn beliefs and faiths.
Artist Nguyen Thuong Hy analyzed like that and according to him, the story of heritage conservation with this perspective is no longer simply about establishing a protection team, guiding with full principles. Approaching heritage through heritage space is not a new idea, but very necessary!
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/bai-1-tiep-can-di-san-bang-khong-gian-di-san-112402.html
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