The past is very much alive in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region: tourists interested in traveling backwards through time can start their trip at a few out-of-the-way cultural museums.
The GMS’s cultural history unfolds through these museums’ intricate artifacts and immersive exhibits – from Lao PDR’s Buddhist legacy to China PRC’s tapestry of ethnic communities to relics of a glorious past in Viet Nam, these repositories stand as testaments to the Mekong’s enduring legacy.
Start your trip to the past at Haw Phra Kaew in Vientiane, Lao PDR, the original repository of the Emerald Buddha. Built to house the sacred relic by King Setthathirath in 1565, the temple fell into disrepair for centuries after the Buddha was removed. Reconstruction started in 1936, and today Haw Phra Kaew houses a fine collection of Buddhist artifacts and statues.
Haw Phra Kaew’s central location, on the intersection of Setthathirath Road and Mahasot Road near the Presidential Palace and Wat Si Saket, makes it a must-visit destination for any tourist exploring the Lao PDR capital. The museum opens daily from to 4pm, with a lunch break from 12 noon to 1pm. Photography inside the museum is not allowed.
In China PRC, the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi (AMGX) uses its ample floor space (building area covers 33,000 sqm) to display the finest artifacts of the 12 ethnic groups in Guangxi. The collection on display currently features almost 50,000 pieces of bronze drums, ethnic textiles and other collections.
The collections are grouped into two permanent themes: “Bronze Drum Culture”, and “Colorful Guangxi”; an auxiliary exhibit of Guangxi’s distinctive ethnic cultural characteristics features a revolving series of exhibits.
The entire Ancient Town of Hoi An can in Viet Nam be considered a sprawling museum by itself: a series of old-style streets, clan houses, historical homes and shophouses all telling the story of a thriving trading post from centuries past.
Museums worth visiting in Hoi An include the Museum of Sa Huynh Culture (149 Tran Phu Street), featuring artifacts from the earliest civilisation known to have settled in Hoi An; The Precious Heritage Museum (26 Phan Boi Chau), featuring portrait photographs of Vietnam’s different ethnic groups by French photographer Rehahn; and the Museum of Traditional Medicine (46 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street) that showcases the ancient trading town’s traditional medicine and medical practices.
