Ho Chi Minh City
Museum of Vietnamese History
Modern Vietnamese Culture and Society | Final Project
Why Champa?
1. It must be Champa.
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The Cham people is one of 54 official ethnicities recognized by the Vietnamese government. Most of us get to know this ethnicity through preservation work and historical heritage.
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However, despite its significance to the Central and Southern regions of Vietnam in the past, the history of Champa Kingdom was forgotten, which motivated us to revive this lost kingdom and connect it with our Vietnamese history.
2. It must be analysis and curation.
"A museum is not an “ivory tower”, it must be a place to think critically about society and can tell a relevant contemporary story."
Nguyen Van Huy, a renowned curator of the Vietnamese museum
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We believe that the HCMC Museum of History can be more than a mere exhibition.
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Through analyzing the Champa culture room, we see what the former curators did well and not well, inspiring us to propose curating improvements for this room.
In Champa language, Champa means Champaca flower (hoa ngoc lan), a flower with rich aroma.
Che Lan Vien, a famous Vietnamese poet, once wrote:
“Ngày mai đây Xuân về trong Chiêm-Quốc
Nước non Chàm vang dậy tiếng vui ca”
May our project be another Spring for the forgotten Champa?
About Champa
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Champa, an ancient Indochinese kingdom, once a prosperous country located in the central and southern coastal areas of Vietnam. However, after the 15th century of establishment, Champa gradually disappeared.
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Current Cham consists of 2 bodies. One resides in central coastal Vietnam, mainly Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, upholding Hinduism. Other Islam Cham followers live in Ho Chi Minh city and some Southern provinces. It is still questionable how Islam was introduced and spread within the Cham.
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A look into the Champa Exhibition Room
(Click to go to the museum 3D virtual website)