HCM CITY — The HCM City Museum on August 16 celebrated its 40th anniversary with an exhibition featuring the history of the South from 1698 to 1945.

The exhibition, Dấu Ấn Khai Phá Miền Đất Nam Bộ Qua Hiện Vật Bảo Tàng (Marks of Land Reclamation in South Việt Nam through the Museum’s Objects) includes 137 rare or precious objects.

They include maps, royal decrees, diplomas and seals under the Tây Sơn Dynasty (1778-1802) and Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945).

On display are copies of three maps of HCM City in different time periods, including 1623-1679, 1975, and 1815.

There are also dozens of royal stamps that were used on administrative documents under the Tây Sơn Dynasty and Nguyễn Dynasty.

The exhibits also include stamps belonging to officers under the Nguyễn Dynasty, such as a bronze seal of the military governor Lê Văn Duyệt used during the reign of King Gia Long and cast in 1802, and a bronze seal of Marquis Lương Tài used during the reign of King Minh Mạng and cast in 1833.

The documents include original and copied pages and royal decrees, edicts and instructions for management in political, economic and social affairs.

The highlight is a copy of Hoàng Triều Lục Bộ Luật Lệ Nghị Định Tiểu Sách (The Booklet of Royal Court Laws and Regulations of Six Ministries) for resolving problems in social affairs from the reign of four kings: Gia Long (1802-1819), Minh Mạng (1820-1840), Thiệu Trị (1841-1846), and Tự Đức (1847-1882).

At the anniversary celebration, Phạm Dương Mỹ Thu Huyền, the museum’s director, said: “The exhibition is an opportunity for local and foreign visitors to learn more about the history of the Southern land, as well as the museum’s achievements in the last 40 years.”

She also thanked the collectors who granted precious exhibits to the museum for the occasion.

The museum has received 1,186 documents, objects, photos and films on traditional culture from researcher Trương Ngọc Tường, and on HCM City’s people and soldiers during the resistance war from director Nguyễn Quế and the family of the late photographer Dương Thanh Phong.

The HCM City Museum was established on August 12, 1978. It contains 374,000 documents and objects featuring the history and development of the city and the cultural and social life of it residents.

The museum welcomes around 400,000 Vietnamese and foreign visitors every year.

In 2016, the museum was recognised as one of Việt Nam’s must-see destinations by the Việt Nam Tourism Administration.

Huỳnh Thanh Nhân, director of the city’s Department of Culture and Sports, praised the achievements of the museum in the last 40 years.

“The museum staff should strive to turn the museum into an attractive destination for both local and visitors,” he said.

The exhibition is open at 65 Lý Tự Trọng Street in District 1. — VNS