VietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of Vietnamese antiques from the 18th to 19th centuries and hundreds of Cham cultural items are exhibited at the Chu Lai Museum in the central province of Quang Nam.




The museum is built on five hectares in Tam Nghia commune, Nui Thanh district. This is the first private museum in this region.

The museum’s owner – Mr. Pham Xuan Long – says that he collected these antiques for nearly 40 years. Some items are worth millions of USD. “There are antiques that you cannot buy with money. There are items that I offered very high prices, but owners refused to sell until I told them that I bought the items to exhibit in my future museum. It turned out that they were afraid that I would sell antiques overseas,” Mr. Long says.

Inside the museum, antiques are displayed on different zones, including antiques of the Nguyen Dynasty, the Mac Dynasty, the Tay Son Dynasty, Late Sa Huynh culture, etc.

The museum has many ceramic items of 100-300 years old, weapons and tools used in the houses of mandarins and decorative items.

The most impressive zone is the one for ancient cannons, with more than 100 items. Cannons were very important weapon in fighting invaders of Vietnamese people from the Tran to the Nguyen dynasties (over 500 years). Mr. Ho Nguyen Trung of the Ho Dynasty was the inventor of the cannon. Cannon casting techniques were the best under the reign of King Gia Long and King Minh Mang of the Nguyen dynasty.

The area for Cham antiques is also very attractive to visitors.

Some antiques at the Chu Lai Museum:













Around 50 cannons are displayed at the museum.





Cannon bullets.






Ceramic dragons made in the southern province of Dong Nai in the 19th century.





Happiness-wealth-longevity statues made in Dong Nai.





Carp turns into a dragon – Dong Nai ceramic.






A rock which was displayed in the palace of the Ho Dynasty.
























Antiques of the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century.






A gramophone of the 19th century.





Bicycles that were used by King Bao Dai.





Chairs and table of the 19th century.





Plates of the 18th century.





Bowls used by mandarins in the 18th century.





The hat of a Tay Son general in the 18th century.





Jars of the late Sa Huynh culture.























Cham items.


Dan Tri