Explore the Perfume River Ancient Pottery Museum.

Officially opened on April 17, 2022, the Huong River Ancient Ceramics Museum is located at 120 Nguyen Phuc Nguyen Street, Huong Long Ward, Hue City. This is the third privately owned museum in Thua Thien Hue province, following the Nguyen Dynasty Porcelain Museum of researcher Tran Dinh Son and the XQ Embroidery Museum.

Located next to the Perfume River and near Thien Mu Pagoda, the exhibition space for ancient pottery covers an area of ​​approximately 700 square meters.^_2,The exhibition features nearly 5,000 artifacts, the majority of which are ancient ceramics salvaged from the bottom of the Perfume River, dating from various periods, including Cham, Sa Huynh, Prehistoric, Early Historic, and Early Le dynasties... and even ceramic artifacts that were once produced in the ancient villages of Phuoc Tich and My Xuyen.

In its inaugural opening, the museum's main space displays 108 representative ceramic artifacts from the pre-Sa Huynh - Sa Huynh periods (2,500 - 3,000 years ago), the Champa period (1st millennium AD), the Ly - Tran to Nguyen periods (19th - 20th centuries), under the theme "The Perfume River - a meeting place of cultures".

The most frequently displayed artifacts are everyday items such as jars, pots, vases, cups, bowls, and lime containers made from various materials like earthenware, stoneware, and glazed ceramics. The artifacts in the museum date from the 5th century BC to the 20th century, including ceramics from the Le Trung Hung period (17th and 18th centuries), and most notably, products from the traditional pottery villages of Phuoc Tich and My Xuyen.

All of these artifacts are closely associated with the daily lives of the inhabitants throughout different historical periods, and also reflect the interaction and trade between Hue and provinces and cities in the North, Central, and South regions. Each artifact displayed here weaves together the story of the Perfume River throughout history.

The Perfume River Ancient Pottery Museum was established thanks to the nearly 40 years of dedicated work by Professor Dr. Thai Kim Lan and her brother, the late painter Thai Nguyen Ba, who collected and preserved artifacts, and also includes items from the late researcher Ho Tan Phan.

Dr. Nguyen Anh Thu, an archaeologist and professional advisor at the Huong River Ancient Ceramics Museum, stated: “In Vietnam, many ceramic artifacts have been discovered along rivers, but they are then scattered everywhere, and no one has yet established a specialized museum dedicated to ceramics from a few rivers like this one. People usually only know a lot about Hue from the period after the 14th century, especially during the Nguyen Dynasty, but the history of Hue is much longer and more extensive. The ancient ceramic artifacts in this museum will help many researchers better understand the lives of the local people who lived there for thousands of years.”

In the near future, the museum will apply 3D technology and virtual reality experiences to more widely introduce the museum's representative and valuable artifacts, while also making it easier for antique enthusiasts from afar to enjoy them. The application of 3D technology in exhibitions will also facilitate the expansion of exchange programs with other museums domestically and internationally.

The Perfume River Ancient Pottery Museum will be open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from April 17th to August 17th, 2022. For weekdays, reservations are possible for groups of 5 to 20 people. After this period, visitors can come every day of the week from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao