Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum expands its exhibition space

The exhibition space for painting artworks

This new space is located next to the old one, and it serves as a “continuation” of, the existing Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum at No.53 Ham Nghi Street.

Covering an area of over 150 square meters, Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum uses this space to showcase collections of paintings by renowned artists; precious metal jewelry of several Vietnamese ethnic minorities; Indochinese banknotes, Japanese and Korean currency; and European-style porcelain dolls by female painter To Bich Hai. Additionally, the second floor features images commemorating Emperor Ham Nghi (1871–1944), the 8th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.

According to a representative of Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum, each artifact and collection stored and displayed in the museum’s new exhibition space is tied to a story about the collector’s journey to acquire it and bring it back for preservation and display.

The collection of metal jewelry draws the attention of visitors

With this launch, it is hoped to offer the public and researchers a unique cultural space, an appealing and interesting destination for both domestic and international visitors wishing to experience and explore history, culture, and the process of East–West cultural exchange. Hence, it contributes to preserving, utilizing, and promoting the value of Hue’s treasure of antiquities in particular, while creating a new and attractive cultural destination for the Ancient Capital.

Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum was established in 2023 at No. 53 Ham Nghi Street and is the fifth non-public museum in Hue City. At the space 53 Ham Nghi, the focus is mainly on displaying the art of phap lam (vitreous enamel) and collections of decorative items from Vietnam, Japan, and France, as well as the theme “East Asian Buddhist Art - Multidimensional Approaches.”

Reviving a French-style house The French-style house has been transformed into an exhibition space for the Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum. The building at No. 49-51 Ham Nghi once belonged to a contractor in Indochina in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With the desire to contribute to the preservation, restoration, and promotion of the value of French-era architectural heritage in Hue, Cecile Le Pham, Director of the Cecile Le Pham Fine Arts Museum sought permission to renovate the villa in 2024. Previously, the villa, which was built over 100 years ago with beautiful architecture, had been severely damaged by time and the harsh climate of Central Vietnam, with many parts of the roof, wooden floors, and staircase at risk of collapse. The restoration was carried out by experts in architectural conservation and restoration, ensuring that the building’s core structures were not harmed and that its typical French colonial architectural features were preserved, while also guaranteeing safe use.