At her villa in Xuan Thieu (Lien Chieu, Da Nang), a very large collection of artifacts, including Buddha statues, wooden furniture, paintings, Chinese dharma lang objects, ceramics, etc., is on display. In addition to this place, she has another warehouse of antiques stored in Cocodo, Hue.
Warm-hearted businessman
Cecile Le Pham was born in 1952 in Hue, to a French father and a Vietnamese mother. During her childhood and youth until she left Vietnam to settle in France in 1979, Cecile Le Pham lived in Vietnam but studied at a French boarding school. As a result, she was deeply influenced by the French lifestyle and culture. Only her voice remained that of a Southern woman, mixed with the timbre of a long-time French speaker.
In 1990, Cecile returned to Vietnam to visit her mother. This was the time when Vietnam began its reform period, the government invited foreign businessmen and overseas Vietnamese to return home to invest.
Cecile Le Pham responded to that policy and chose the textile and garment sector to invest in. To date, she is the owner of two garment factories, Dacotex in Hoa Tho Industrial Park (Da Nang) and Dacotex in Chu Lai Industrial Park (Quang Nam). In Hue, she established Hudatex, a joint venture garment manufacturing company with a state-owned enterprise in Thua Thien Hue, and is also the owner of the famous Le Domaine de Cocodo hotel in the ancient capital.
As a businesswoman, Cecile Le Pham spends a lot of time, effort and money on charity activities, targeting minority communities, the less fortunate, and the working class in Thua Thien Hue province, Quang Nam province and Da Nang city.
Cecile Le Pham has cooperated with the Youth Union in the mountainous districts of western Quang Nam province for nearly 20 years to sponsor solar power installations for ethnic minorities and poor people in Nam Giang, Dong Giang, Nam Tra My, and Bac Tra My districts.
Not to mention, she supports food, books, and school supplies for poor children in remote communes in Hoa Vang district (Da Nang city), A Luoi, Nam Dong (Thua Thien Hue province)... She also established two orphanages, both named Hoa Mai in Da Nang and Hau Giang to raise orphans for over 30 years.
Establishing art museums to preserve heritage
As a businesswoman, Cecile Le Pham has traveled to many places to meet partners or travel. That is an opportunity for her to explore the cultural heritage of many ethnic groups and countries around the world. And she has collected many antiques, cultural assets, etc. from more than 40 countries, brought them to France, and then transferred them to Vietnam for storage.
When inviting me to visit her two massive collections in Da Nang and Hue, Cecile Le Pham said: “I intend to establish an art museum to introduce to the public the cultural heritage of Vietnam and humanity, spreading artistic and cultural values to the community and tourists visiting Vietnam.
But I am just a businessman who loves culture and wants to do culture, so I really need the appraisal of experts and the support of local authorities, so that the museum that I have cherished for so long can soon take shape."
Finally, Cecile Le Pham's wish has come true. After more than 3 years of planning to open a private art museum in Hue, through many appraisals by museum experts and many rounds of evaluation by the cultural sector, Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum has been granted the decision to establish and the operating license by the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province.
On April 24, 2023, the Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum officially opened in Hue. This is the 5th private museum in Hue, located on the premises of Le Domaine de Cocodo Hotel (53 Ham Nghi, Hue).
Cecile has devoted her heart and soul to building this collection, with more than 1,000 artifacts, originating from many countries, rich in types, diverse in materials, unique in shape, and of aesthetic and cultural value.
Cecile Le Pham Museum of Fine Arts houses antiques and fine art products from Vietnam and China, mainly dating from the 17th to the 20th century. Cecile Le Pham has a special passion for Chinese dharmalang. At the museum, she displays a collection of Chinese dharmalang including regalia, interior decorations, large tables and chairs, etc.
The theme “Asian Buddhist Fine Arts - Multidimensional Approaches” is an impressive highlight at the museum. With more than 50 Buddha statues, scriptures, dharma instruments, self-made objects, fine arts… of Buddhism in Asian countries, including Buddha statues originating from India, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam… very unique.
The artifacts displayed here demonstrate the diversity of two Buddhist art streams: Theravada (mainly in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries) and Mahayana (mainly in Northeast Asian countries and Vietnam); at the same time, they demonstrate the cultural and artistic exchange in the historical process between countries influenced by Buddhism.
Address to spread cultural values
Heritage is not only to be preserved but also to spread its value. That is Cecile Le Pham's wish. "I want to establish a museum in Hue because this is a city with an ancient culture, most notably the Nguyen Dynasty heritage. My wish is that young people, pupils and students can admire artifacts collected from all over the world, thereby nurturing their passion for cultural heritage."
Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum has become a new and attractive destination for tourists and local youth since its opening. This is also a place that regularly organizes art activities for students of all levels in Hue: museum tours, heritage storytelling, painting competitions, etc.
These activities have encouraged young people to take an interest in culture and art, which is a necessary source of nourishment for young people on their journey to maturity and perfecting their mind, spirit and morality. This is what businesswoman - philanthropist - person who spreads love for culture and art Cecile Le Pham has always wanted and practiced for the past decades.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/cecile-le-pham-nu-doanh-nhan-lam-van-hoa-3143627.html
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