Hung Kings Museum - Preserving and Spreading Historical and Cultural Values

Located in the center of Viet Tri city, the Hung Kings Museum has become a special cultural destination, where historical memories are connected with the present, contributing to preserving and illuminating the sacred values of the homeland of the Hung Kings, the origin of the Vietnamese nation.

The Hung Kings Museum is built with a unique architectural style, resembling the traditional Northern stilt house, combined with the Dong Son drum patterns. Covering an area of about 9,000m2, the museum is divided into several rich exhibition spaces. The permanent exhibition includes 49 artistic clusters organized into five major themes: Nature and People of Phu Tho; Prehistoric and Early History; the period of Northern domination and feudal autonomy; the resistance wars against foreign invaders; and Phu Tho in the renewal period. Additionally, the museum frequently organizes thematic exhibitions, bringing new vitality to its exhibition spaces. A notable example is the exhibition “Hung Kings Culture in the Flow of Red River Civilization,” featuring more than 300 diverse archaeological artifacts, as well as materials on the worship of the Hung Kings and Hat Xoan – an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Moreover, the outdoor exhibition area, featuring tanks, artillery, aircraft, and more, recreates a part of the national defense history. The ethnographic space, about 60m2, offers the public an opportunity to learn about the daily life, customs, and traditions of the ethnic groups in Phu Tho. Particularly, the ground floor of the museum is highlighted by a giant Dong Son drum – the symbol of “a round sky and square earth,” which evokes the origins of wet rice civilization during the Hung Kings period.

A large number of officials, residents, and students visit the exhibits at the Hung Kings Museum.

Since the beginning of the year, the museum has welcomed over 12,000 visitors and collaborated on organizing several large exhibitions, such as: Exhibiting and promoting the program for the Lunar New Year 2025 (Year of the Snake); the exhibition “Space of Traditional Tet” with folk games and activities for the 2025 Tet festival; cooperating with Vinh Phuc Museum to organize the thematic exhibition “Hung Kings Culture in the Flow of Red River Civilization” to serve the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the 2025 Culture and Tourism Week; partnering with Nghe An Museum to display photo panels about the heritage of “Worship of the Hung Kings and Phu Tho Xoan Singing” for the opening of the exhibition “Folk Songs of Nghe Tinh and Phu Tho Xoan Singing.”

Notably, the museum is actively implementing the scientific project “Application of VR3D Technology to Build a Virtual Museum,” which opens up the possibility of accessing historical artifacts on a digital platform. Educational activities are also a focus, with seven “history lessons” organized for students from schools in the province. Additionally, the museum has organized thematic exhibitions like “The Great Spring Victory of 1975 – The Power of National Unity” and lectures; as well as “History Lessons” to mark the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the

South and the Reunification of the Country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

From valuable original artifacts to vibrant thematic exhibitions and the application of modern technology, the Hung Kings Museum is gradually asserting its position as a prominent cultural and historical center of the Hung Kings’ homeland.

Huong Lan