The exhibition was organised by the Centre for Thang Long Royal Citadel Research under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), which is headed by Associate Professor – Doctor Bui Minh Tri, who has 16 years of research experience on the Thang Long imperial citadel. He was also one of the contributors to the compilation of the dossier seeking for the World cultural heritage title for the citadel.
On this occasion, Tri shared with Nhan Dan Weekly how his centre prepared for the exhibition as well as his feelings about being a part of the event.
Question. Can you please introduce some highlights of the exhibition?
Dr. Bui Minh Tri: The exhibits are displayed in an archaeological stratigraphic principle (chronological order). Following this structure, works on display at the second basement date back to the early Thang Long period, the time before King Ly Cong Uan decided to relocate the royal capital from Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh province to Thang Long (now Hanoi). The first basement introduces artefacts dated back to Thang Long period or after the King’s decision.
Highlights and historical stories featured in each display space detail the value of the heritage during that period of time.
For example, in the display of the Thang Long period, we recreated a typical architectural space of the Ly dynasty (1009-1225). A system of 42 foundation buttresses was illuminated with the support of 42 light pillars. We also introduced a number of roof tiles so that the public can learn more about palaces built under the dynasty.
In addition, the walkway for the visitors was designed at the centre of the exhibition space room for convenient access to the exhibits, which are displayed at both sides along the corridor. The exhibits include architectural materials and daily utensils.
Visitors are also invited to watch films on Ly dynasty’s architecture in a 60-people screening room located on the second basement.
The spotlights of the Dinh-Early Le period display two pictures made from pieces of broken bricks and tiles. The ‘Dragon’ picture is showcased next to a copy of the King’s Chieu Doi Do (Royal Proclamation on Relocating the Capital) with an aim to remind visitors about the historic decision of the King on transfering the capital to Thang Long (Soaring Dragon). Meanwhile, the ‘Binh Minh Thang Long’ (Dawn of Thang Long) captures the culture of Dai Viet, the former name of Vietnam under the Ly dynasty.
The exhibition was appreciated with the wise use of technological solutions, including a series of lighting pillars. Did you have any difficulties in installing the solutions?
From the very start, we wanted to use a special wooden pillar-like lighting system as it would help to ensure the authentication of archaeology while creating strong visual impacts.
Therefore a delegation of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences went to Germany to work with ENCRO, a world-famous company working in digital light for museums. But the German company unfortunately had not worked on such kind of lighting pillars, so they were unable to produce them.
However, we still followed the idea and finally worked out a design of tubular lighting pillars, which were programmed and produced by Amada Vietnam Co., Ltd. The special lighting system is operated in a four–minute routine. First, the light illuminates the square-shaped surface of the foundation buttress before reaching its foot, the light then changes colour and move across the pillar to create an atmospheric visual impact on visitors.
Via a feeding bowl for birds, the exhibition introduces a short-video on the habit of bird breeding of people in the olden days. The audience can also explore the architecture of palaces at Thang Long imperial citadel through the clip. Can you please tell us more about the scientific foundation of the clip?
Although the feeding bowl looks quite small and simple, it is a special object as it shows that those living in the citadel had the habit of bird breeding. To make the object more vivid to visitors, we used ethnological researches of French researcher Henri Oger, who hired specialists to draw how people trapped, caught and raised birds in caves based on his research. The drawings, released in Oger’s ‘Mechanics and crafts of the Annamites’, were shown to the public in the clip.
When the drawings were brought together under the sound of bird singing to tell a story of the feeding bowl, it allowed the audience to travel back in time and experience living in the citadel at that time.
The making of the clip on the palace’s architecture is more complicated. We spent years researching the materials found underneath the citadel under the support of Japanese researchers.
An international symposium on architectural materials and architecture under Ly dynasty seen in the citadel was held in early 2016. The outcomes of our archeological researches were made public at the event for discussion. The making of the clip was produced based on agreements reached through the discussions. It lasts 15 minutes and was divided into four parts.