Hue City delegation searches for Nguyen Dynasty documents in France. Photo: Hue Cultural Heritage Center

Results from the connection

“Sky, mountains, water” is an exhibition of paintings by King Ham Nghi that is being displayed at Kien Trung Palace - Hue Imperial City in late March - early April. This is the largest painting exhibition ever held by the patriotic king in Vietnam. The exhibition space leads viewers into the nostalgic painting world of the exiled emperor with 21 works depicting natural scenes, filled with the king's longing for his homeland.

The 21 precious paintings of King Ham Nghi were gathered from 10 private collections. Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, said that this was the result of the Center's efforts to connect with collectors and King Ham Nghi's family. Bringing the precious paintings of King Ham Nghi back to his homeland was also a long journey filled with effort, from mobilizing collectors to transporting and preserving the rare works.

Far Eastern Institute of Antiquities visit the Poetry Museum

Since 2022, Mr. Hoang Viet Trung has been on a business trip to France to learn about the exhibition of King Ham Nghi's artworks, combined with searching for related historical documents in France. Also during that trip, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center connected with museums, archives, researchers, collectors and conservation experts to search for historical documents, especially documents related to the Nguyen Dynasty in France. The delegation visited and worked with the Cernuschi Museum (Asian Art Museum of Paris) to learn about the museum's collections on Vietnam, documents on the Nguyen Dynasty and Vietnam's collections on archeology, ceramics, paintings, etc.

Requires time and effort

During the war, many valuable documents and artifacts of the Nguyen Dynasty were lost. When peace came, collecting and searching for historical documents became a concern for those working in heritage conservation. According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, this search also provided additional documents to serve the restoration of relics. In addition to research documents, the most important restoration work was photographic documents.

“When we went to France, we found some valuable photos of Kien Trung Palace. This is the basis for the Center to restore the details of Kien Trung Palace. We also bought a photo book with 2 photos of Co Ha Garden. With collapsed relics, these photos confirm unclear things in the research, so they are extremely valuable and very helpful for the projects currently being researched for restoration,” said Mr. Trung.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center has identified the collection of Nguyen Dynasty documents as one of its important tasks. Currently, France still preserves many historical artifacts and antiquities, especially related to the Nguyen Dynasty, in a number of museums, such as the Military Museum, Cernuschi Museum, Guimet Museum, Quai Branly Museum, the French School of the Far East, etc. Currently, Hue City is closely cooperating with French and international partners, such as the French School of the Far East, the National Archives Center overseas, museums, and a number of French experts in the search for artifacts and historical documents about Vietnam in general and the Nguyen Dynasty in particular.

From the connection, in 2023, a delegation from the French School of the Far East (EFEO) visited and worked in Hue. EFEO and the Hue Monuments Conservation Center signed a framework agreement on cooperation in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. According to the cooperation agreement, the two sides will share documents and images related to Hue and Nguyen Dynasty cultural heritage stored at the two units. EFEO will also support and connect the Hue Monuments Conservation Center with French organizations and units that are storing documents, especially photo documents related to Nguyen Dynasty architecture to serve the restoration of monuments.

In addition to the French School of the Far East, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center cooperates with many organizations to access French archives to search for documents and images of life, activities, and landscapes, including photos of Nguyen Dynasty works. “The archives are like the vast ocean, and we are half a world away. Many centers have not yet digitized the documents, while they have been preserved for hundreds of years, so searching is very difficult. Therefore, it requires time and diligence. You cannot have them if you want them,” said Mr. Hoang Viet Trung.

Collecting and searching for documents is not simple, it requires connection and coordination with organizations and individuals at home and abroad, building trust so that organizations and individuals can help and support. The Hue Monuments Conservation Center calls on passionate people to join hands in collecting and preserving heritage values. Many people who keep important documents have donated them when they find a reliable address. Some individuals who are passionate about heritage conservation also donate valuable documents that have been collected and auctioned to the center. These are important contributions in the process of searching for Nguyen Dynasty documents currently scattered abroad to serve the work of heritage conservation.

MINH HIEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/suu-tam-tu-lieu-trieu-nguyen-o-nuoc-ngoai-152306.html