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| Artifacts stored in the building at 23–25 Le Loi Street still awaiting handover for proper promotion |
Formerly Hue Cultural Museum
The building at 23–25 Le Loi Street once served as the headquarters of Thuan Hoa District Center for Culture, Information, and Sports – the unit that managed the artifacts and documents. However, this center was officially merged and became a unit under the newly established Thuan Hoa Ward, now operating under the two-tier local government system. Prior to the merger, the center had submitted reports and proposals requesting the transfer of its collection.
In recent days, many visitors to the space at 23–25 Le Loi Street (now known as Hue Book and Cultural Space) have been surprised to find numerous artifacts stacked in a corner near the entrance. Among them are various Cham artifacts and historical stone steles closely placed together.
Mr. Nguyen Trong, a resident of Hue who has visited the space many times, expressed concern about how such valuable artifacts were stored so haphazardly, without labels or proper preservation measures. “These artifacts deserve to be treated with respect and displayed in a proper space, or at the very least, stored in better conditions. I hope the authorities and professionals will find an appropriate plan to preserve these cultural and historical values,” said he.
According to our research, these artifacts are part of a collection of over 1,300 documents and artifacts previously managed by Hue Cultural Museum. In 2020, Hue Cultural Museum was merged with Hue Radio Station and Hue Center for Culture and Sports to become a part of Hue City Center for Culture, Information, and Sports.
As of early January 2025, Hue City was divided into two districts - Thuan Hoa and Phu Xuan - according to Resolution No. 1314/NQ-UBTVQH15, dated November 30th, 2024, issued by the National Assembly Standing Committee. Following the division, all artifacts formerly belonging to Hue Cultural Museum and stored in the building at 23–25 Le Loi Street came under the management of Thuan Hoa District Center for Culture, Information, and Sports. However, after a series of mergers and divisions, the museum was no longer a primary function of the unit. Facilities, equipment, operating budgets, and staff dedicated to museum practices were no longer sufficient.
Recognizing the importance of this large collection of documents and artifacts, the former Thuan Hoa District Center for Culture, Information, and Sports (before the merger) had proposed transferring the entire collection to Hue Museum of History. The aim was to ensure proper preservation and promotion as well as prevent the collection from being scattered. According to statistics, there are 1,398 documents and artifacts made from a variety of materials including ceramics, metal, stone, wood, fabric, leather, plastic, and paper.
Review in progress for handover
According to leaders at Hue Museum of History, staff had already been sent to inventory the documents and artifacts in preparation for assuming management and promotion duties. However, the transferring unit later expressed a desire to retain some of the items, which delayed the process.
Ms. Nguyen Hong Hoa Tranh, Vice Chairwoman of Thuan Hoa Ward People’s Committee, shared that in mid-June 2025, the former Thuan Hoa District Center for Culture, Information, and Sports coordinated with Hue Museum of History to conduct an inventory, classification, and handover list. After this process, the center submitted a report to Thuan Hoa District People’s Committee (prior to the implementation of the two-tier local government system). Based on that report, Thuan Hoa District People’s Committee requested a review of the inventory and proposed which documents and artifacts could be retained at the center to serve its current functions and duties.
The center reviewed and updated the list to reflect actual conditions and reported it back to Thuan Hoa District People’s Committee for final approval before implementation. However, at the end of June 2025, due to the heavy workload associated with the restructuring of the two-tier local government system, the handover and receipt process for the collection at the center was temporarily interrupted.
“In the near future, once Thuan Hoa Ward Public Service Center is fully operational, Thuan Hoa Ward People’s Committee will instruct the center to continue reviewing the inventory and determining which items are appropriate to be retained for the center’s current duties and which should be handed over to the museum,” shared Ms. Tranh.