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| Hanoi Police Museum, opened 2015 |
UQ Museum Studies postgraduates will be undertaking a Field School from 4-15 January 2016 in Vietnam, visiting museums and heritage institutions in Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue and Hoi An. The theme of the field school is 'Museums and Memory' and we will be exploring how memory-work can be utilised in the museum environment and the effects of this.
Included in our itinerary is a visit to the newly established Hanoi Police Museum, as well as other sites of memory including Thang Long Citadel, Hoa Lo Prison Museum and Hue Ancient Citadel. We will be critical thinking through questions about the role of memory in Vietnam and how this operates in the context of exhibition narratives, objects, sites and photographs.
This blog intends to document our experience.
The end of Day 3 and already we have experienced different styles of presenting objects and stories in Vietnamese museums.
ReplyDeleteThe Women’s Museum provided various perspectives of women in society through marriage, birthing children, providing for the family through agriculture and fishing, their fashions and shaping the country through their gallantry in wars. It also provided an insight to one religious belief centred around the Mother Goddess. There appeared to be an underlying theme of women being the backbone of society providing the glue to hold society together. From walking the streets of Hanoi, there appears to be women everywhere as street sellers and store operators of all sorts of merchandise while the men look on smoking, talking, playing games and drinking. From observation, one can only conclude that it is women who support and hold the family together while still working.
The Vietnamese Military History Museum displays to the Vietnamese people and international visitors, the country’s military achievements in a triumphant and patriotic manner. The underdog who took on, and won wars from militarily superior countries through persistence, ingenuity together with moralistic support and equipment and supplies from other countries across the world. It depicts a proud and united country capable of defending itself against any adversary.
The Hanoi Jail Museum provided an insight to the harsh and brutal conditions, prisoners faced under the French regime. Was this any different to how prisoners in other countries were treated at that time? I would argue it was not. One can only assume French prisoners were treated the same as the Vietnamese. Following Independence, there is no indication of how prisoners were treated. Were they held in the same conditions? The clear message was the strength of character that the political prisoners had, many of which rose to power within the newly formed Government in 1954. This reverence was clear with the memorial to political prisoners who had died. In contrast to the French, the Vietnamese are shown to be benevolent jailers to those US airmen who were incarcerated in the jail during the American War. While some of this benevolence is correct, only those who were imprisoned, know the full story.
The Hanoi Police Museum provided an interesting insight to policing in Hanoi following Independence including the types of crime and subversive activities it solves. It presented a ‘feel good’ story to local Vietnamese of its strength and dedication to helping and keeping the community safe, whether it be from crime or disasters.
The Citadel displays clearly showed the importance that the facility has been throughout Vietnamese history and its reuse from an Emperor’s Palace to a Defence Headquarters. While there are lapses in its history under French control, it provides a solid understanding of the Vietnamese dynasties until their demise with Independence.
I look forward to continuing our exploration of Vietnamese museology over the next nine days.