Depicting the history of the origin land of the nation

Located within the grounds of the Hung Kings Historical Site, the Hung Kings Museum is described as a “book of history through artifacts,” vividly portraying the history of the origin land of the Vietnamese people, attracting a large number of tourists from all over to visit, learn, and explore the unique historical and cultural values of the the Fatherland region.

The Hung Kings Museum is a new cultural project, begun in 1986 at the Cong Quan Hill area, Hung Kings Historical Site, and was inaugurated during the Hung Kings Festival in 1993 (on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month in the Year of the Rooster). Its architecture is designed in a square shape, symbolizing a giant square banh chung (traditional rice cake). In the center of the first floor of the museum is a circular area, featuring a large bronze drum cast in the style of the Type I Hegơ bronze drum, symbolizing heaven and earth, the universe, based on the ancient Vietnamese ancestors' belief: "Heaven is round, earth is square."

Currently, the Hung Kings Museum is preserving and managing nearly 5,000 artifacts. Of these, over 4,000 are collected artifacts, 162 photographs, 4 ceramic paintings, 9 bronze reliefs, and many other items from the Hung Kings era, excavated at sites in Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc provinces. These are material cultural remains, scientific evidence of the development of ancient Vietnamese people from prehistoric times to the Hung Kings period.

The second floor of the Hung Kings Museum is the main exhibition area, presenting and explaining the formation and development of the Van Lang state and the rice cultivation civilization of the Hung Kings. Through original artifacts and supporting scientific materials displayed in five rooms, the themes are: The land and people in prehistoric times; The beginning of the nation’s founding; The achievements of the Hung Kings in building the Van Lang state; Exhibits on the Heritage of Hung Kings Worship; The affection of the people nationwide and the attention of the Party and State leaders, as well as international friends, towards the Hung Kings Temple.

The main exhibition content at the Hung Kings Museum focuses on rooms 1, 2, and 3, which highlight the process of the formation and development of the Van Lang state. The displayed artifacts are selected from four typical cultural stages: Phung Nguyen, Dong Dau, Go Mun, and Dong Son.

Among the precious artifacts at the museum, two National Treasures stand out: the Hung Kings Bronze Drum and the Bronze Belt Buckle Set. The Hung Kings Bronze Drum was discovered in 1990 at Phan Ngui Hill, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City. This is the largest Dong Son drum found in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Since 2023, the Hung Kings Museum has developed a plan to integrate an automatic audio guide application into the visitor experience. With the notable advantage of supporting 5 languages: Vietnamese, English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, this application helps international visitors easily access and learn about the exhibits.

In addition to the automatic audio guide to enhance the visitor experience, the Hung Kings Museum has also collaborated with the Department of Education and Training to implement the “History Lesson Hour” program for students. This program helps students learn about the history and culture of the Fatherland region, while gradually digitizing the entire collection of documents and artifacts to serve management, storage, research, and learning about the history of the people and visitors. Moreover, the museum also hosts various cultural activities such as performing drum beating and gong playing for the locals and tourists during the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary - Hung Kings Festival.

Hoang Giang