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A “meeting place” for culture
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A conversation about art at the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space on Kim Son hill
In addition to their primary function of displaying artifacts, many museums and cultural-artistic spaces also fulfill another important role: organizing events for exchange, conversation, and discussion on related issues. These spaces have become destinations that creates connections between researchers, cultural experts, and enthusiasts.
A conversation about art at the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space on Kim Son hill

In recent years, Hue has seen the emergence of many museums and cultural-artistic spaces, including several privately owned venues. Notable examples include the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space on Kim Son hill, the Huong River Ancient Ceramics Museum near Thien Mu Pagoda, and the Lan Vien Co Tich Space overlooking the Dong Ba river on Bach Dang Street.

These spaces sometimes collaborate and other times take turns in hosting art events. Many of these include seminars, book launches, and conversations with renowned speakers. Numerous experts and scholars from Hue and across the country have gathered in these spaces, creating a beautiful cultural feature amidst modern life.

Besides gatherings of Hue’s local art community, these spaces also welcome many scholars from various regions of the country. While locals are often surprised and impressed by these spaces, visitors from afar are amazed that Hue possesses such unique and elegant cultural venues.

Along with outdoor areas or buildings with unique architecture, these locations have become interesting meeting points and have received praise from attendees. “Such spaces make participants feel immersed in cultural sediment upon entering. The architecture is not only beautiful but also subtle. This shows that the owners pay great attention to related factors when creating such spaces,” shared Nguyen Vinh,  a citizen of Hue, who has attended events at these venues.

Entering these spaces, one feels transported to another world. Leaving behind the noise and clutter, these spaces are surrounded by cool green gardens or spacious, imposing ancient architecture in the heart of the cramped city. All of this demonstrates the “sophistication” of the owners and their intention in creating such spaces.

The Le Ba Dang Memorial Space, established over 4 years ago, has become not only an attraction for international and distant tourists but also a chosen venue for book launches and art discussions. These include launches of magazines and art-related publications, as well as conversations with leading experts in fine arts.

From its inception, the owner of the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space determined that, alongside permanent exhibition rooms, a dedicated space would be reserved for cultural “gatherings” with conversations and meetings of art lovers from home and abroad, as well as event organization.

Along with other cultural institutions, these private museums and memorial spaces have contributed to promoting Hue’s cultural values, attracting cultural experts and researchers from across the country. This has helped promote Hue’s image in general and created an interesting destination in recent years.

Many ideas for cultural spaces are being nurtured by many and are expected to come to fruition in the future. These destinations will contribute to adorning the cultural and heritage city in its journey to affirm Hue’s values and identity.

Story and photo: NHAT MINH