Viet Nam News
Architect Hoang Thuc Hao won the Bui Xuan Phai Award in the Idea Prize category in 2010. He was the first Vietnamese architect to win SIA-Getz Architecture Prize for Emergent Architecture in Asia in 2016, and also the Vassilis Sgoutas Prize by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in 2017.
This year, Hao plans to set up the Ho Guom or Ho Hoan Kiem (Sword Lake or Sword Return Lake) Museum. Bui Xuan Phai Awards is held annually by the Vietnam News Agency’s The Thao & Van Hoa (Sport & Culture) daily. The awards will be announced on August 27.
Hao currently is a lecturer at the National University of Civil Engineering. He has spent 25 years researching and developing architectural projects for the community.
Hao spoke about his idea to honour Ho Guom as one of the symbols of Ha Noi.
What gave you the idea to set up the Ho Guom Museum?
Ho Guom is a relic site dating back hundreds of years. In the past, it was a part of the Hong (Red) River. It became a lake due to urban development. Ho Guom is a historical area that has witnessed changes during the process from feudalism to socialism.
Ho Guom became the centre of Ha Noi with streets arranged like a chess-board by the French. The space around the lake is legendary with the history of King Le Loi in the 16th century and But Tower in the 19th century. Plus, it is surrounded by eastern and western architectural styles such as French colonial villas and Vietnamese temples and pagodas.
Ho Guom also has a diversified biology including many kinds of tree.
Ha Noi was presented with the City for Peace award by UNESCO in 1999, and I think that the legend of Ho Guom is one of the most meaningful symbols of Ha Noi. It is a farewell to war. Ho Guom deserves to have a museum.
Many experts say that the space around Ho Guom is too crowded. Will it be possible to turn the idea into a reality?
The space around Ho Guom is overcrowded. There is no more spare land. In principle, Ho Guom Museum must be small and placed opposite the statues of King Ly Thai To and King Le Thai To.
The legend says that King Le Thai To gave the sword back to the genie turtle Kim Quy after he finhished fighting off the Chinese Ming invaders, but his statue is not popular among young people.
The Ha Noi People’s Committee has a building very near the statue which is rented. I think the building would suit a community project like the Ho Guom Museum.
The museum will be simple but make an impression. It will highlight love for peace and freedom, and will not cost much to build.
Many museums in Viet Nam are largely ignored. Are you worried about this ?
I think it depends on human capacity. The Viet Nam Ethnology Museum is an example. It’s far from the centre and has poor infrastructure but former director Nguyen Van Huy has made it well-known.
Moreover, three-dimension technology will help visitors to explore the museum.
You also have an idea about Ha Noi’s cultural ecology. Could you tell us more about it?
Ha Noi gathers culture and knowledge. Intellectuals, culturists and scientists are a big human resource. In the past many of those living abroad returned to the homeland to respond to President Ho Chi Minh’s call national defence and construction.
However, it also needs to honour people who have made great contributions to Ha Noi’s development. I see the founders of traditional handicraft villages have not being honoured deservingly.
It should have small museums to respect the founders of traditional handicraft villages such as the bronze cast village, pottery village, flower village and silk village. It needs to mobilise capital from all social sectors to set up these museums. The cultural models will make a cultural ecology in Ha Noi. The most important part is policy and vision. — VNS