To commemorate 69 year anniversary of August Revolution and the National Day September 2nd, from July 27 to August 30, at the Southern Women Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, the Research Center of the Cham culture in Ninh Thuan cooperate with the Southern Women Museum to hold the exhibition “the traditional villages of the Cham in Ninh Thuan” in the thematic gallery of the museum.
Exhibited in order to introduce the general public to Ho Chi Minh City unique culture of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan, including traditional crafts have been reserved, transmitted to this day, represents the identity unique culture has developed to a level of sophistication in the Cham ethnic relations and development. The exhibition’s aim is to introduce local people in Ho Chi Minh City and visitors the unique culture of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan province, including the traditional crafts reserved and transmitted to this day. It represents the unique cultural identity developed to the exquisite level of the Cham in the relations and development.
Ninh Thuan is the home to Cham people; the place preserves the diverse cultural identity of Cham community. The Cham’s traditional crafts are well-known across Vietnam, but is has been gradually buried. Currently, there are just pottery, weaving and a village processing Vietnamese traditional medicine. With 29 photographs and 184 objects along with many scientific documents, the exhibition has introduced the cultural characteristics of typical traditional villages of the Cham women in Ninh Thuan province, thereby highlighting the position and the role of women in the preserving and promoting the traditional cultural value of the Cham people.
The photographs and objects depict vividly the life of traditional villages as ceramics, textile and Vietnamese traditional medicine of the Cham in Ninh Thuan today with the special cultural identity. Brocade of the Cham people here has the special attraction due to the unique and diverse designs. Besides the ancient designs showing the luxury as Siva God, dragon, local people creates novel and strange patterns such as elephant motifs of Highlands or apricot patterns of Kinh people combined with the materials such as synthetic fibers and colorful glitter.
In addition, there are 100 types of Vietnamese traditional medicine that are studied by the Cham and commonly used in the life along with the sophisticated and unique ceramic products and brocade of the traditional villages. The exhibition also introduces the collection of ancient Cham pottery with 14 objects in the daily life and rituals of the Cham having date from the 13th century to the 18th century. They are collected in Binh Dinh and Binh Thuan. Ms. Nguyen Thi Tham, the Director of the Southern Women Museum said that in the traditional culture of the Cham people, women play an important role in the family and the life. The culture includes the traditional crafts reserved and transmitted through generations by women. The Cham women always take an essential role in regulating the production of the traditional villages and are the main factor to create the unique cultural value.
The display aims to honor Cham women in the conservation of the traditional villages and this is the chance for Ninh Thuan to exchange and promote the traditional crafts and Cham culture with the Vietnam community and to reserve and develop the Cham traditional villages contributing to the building the national cultural identity, the development of economy and tourism of the local in the international economic integration now.