A fisherman in Mộc Hóa District, Long An (now Mộc Hóa Commune, Tây Ninh Province), casts his net during the flood season in this photo by Đức Hạnh of the Việt Nam News Agency, from the collection of the Southern Women’s Museum. — Photo courtesy of the French Institute in Việt Nam

HCM CITY — The journey of the rivers of Southern Việt Nam from their origins to their future will be featured in a temporary exhibition that opens at the History Museum in Hồ Chí Minh City on June 17.

The exhibition, titled Nous, Les Fleuves du Sud (We, the Rivers of Southern Việt Nam) is adapted from the exhibition Nous, Les Fleuves (We, the Rivers) presented in 2022 by the Musée des Confluences in Lyon, France.

It displays nearly 80 objects, artefacts, paintings and photographs, bringing together the collective work of four museums in the city - the History Museum, the Museum of Hồ Chí Minh City, the Southern Women’s Museum and the Hồ Chí Minh City Museum of Fine Arts.

The showcase highlights the specific characteristics of the rivers of Southern Việt Nam, from dense hydrographic networks of the Mekong Delta to the region’s ongoing urban transformations.

The exhibition consists of three sections: Rivers as markers of the cultural identity of Southern Việt Nam, the role and functions of rivers, and the future of our rivers.

It invites viewers not only to witness the past and present of the rivers, but also to listen and act, so that the rivers may continue to flow, carrying the story of life into the future.

A view of the Argonne Wharf (today’s Bạch Đằng Wharf) from the Ba Son Shipyard in 1955, from the collection of the Museum of Hồ Chí Minh City. — Photo courtesy of the French Institute in Việt Nam

The exhibition is part of the project “Living with Rivers”, initiated by the French Embassy in Việt Nam and the French Institute in Việt Nam.

The project is a Franco-Vietnamese cooperation programme dedicated to the sustainable development of river territories through a comprehensive approach structured around three main pillars: scientific research, urban planning and development, and culture and education.

It also aims to foster a deeper understanding of major rivers and promote their preservation through a wide range of activities across Việt Nam.

The exhibition will be open to the public until October 17 at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Street, Sài Gòn Ward. — VNS