A kind of “comprehensive museum”
As the traditional museums cannot effectively safeguard intangible cultural heritage as they cannot create or replace the living space of the heritage. Traditional museums can only retain the cultural expressions of the heritages because these heritages are always "alive", constantly changing and being recreated. Therefore, the conservation of intangible cultural heritage must go beyond the walls of traditional museums towards preserving the culturally diverse expressions of the heritages in the communities.
The term Écomusée (Eco-museum), which was coined by French museologists George Henri Rivière and Hugues de Varine, connotes a museum that is built based on a community agreement and managed by the local community, focusing on using and introducing local heritage, communities and surroundings. An eco-museum is not a closed structure but a complex of territory - heritage - memory - community.
According to the authors of the term, “The eco-museum becomes a mirror for local residents to view themselves and find an explanation of the land where their ancestors and forefathers achieved in the field of ecology”.
This term lays the foundation for a “comprehensive museum” with a holistic approach to the life of communities as well as their economic, social, cultural, and political conditions and their interactions with the living environment.
Eco-museums affirm the importance of indigenous knowledge, customs, social structures, and cultural traditions in addition to tangible evidence such as landscapes, geological formations, flora and fauna, and architectural works.
Eco-museum is a new step of museology helping to solve current problems in the global development trend, such as the protection of ecological environment in sustainable development, protection of cultural diversity, protection cultural identity.
The ecological museum expands the function of a traditional museum, harmonises the ecological relationship between people and nature, and contributes to the development of local society and community.
When the community becomes the owner of the ecological museum and get benefits from the museum, the connection between history, present, and future will make the museum clearly reflect the evolution of society.
Developing eco-museums in Vietnam
The development of the eco-museums needs to two basic factors: the practice environment, and the community of cultural actors. The community is not only the creators of the heritage but also voluntary and direct participants in the museumisation of their heritage and receives benefits from this process.
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A space displaying pottery products in the ancient pottery village of Phuoc Tich in Phong Dien District, Thua Thien Hue Province (Photo: baodantoc.vn) |
Researchers have pointed out necessary and sufficient conditions for a typical ecological museum model. First, it must be a specific area where local community possesses typical intangible cultural heritage. Second, it is built based on a community agreement. Third, coordination between the authorities, cultural management agencies, researchers, and local communities is needed in operating an ecological museum. Forth, the area has adequate infrastructure for tourism development while effectively promoting the value of intangible cultural heritages and facilitating local socio-economic development.
In Vietnam, the public awareness of the role and necessity of preserving intangible cultural heritage has been gradually increased.
Following the above-mentioned criteria, the eco-museum model can be built in several locations in Vietnam, such as eco-museum for the gong culture space of Central Highlands in Mang Den Township in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province; eco-museum in the ancient pottery village of Phuoc Tich in Phong Dien District, Thua Thien Hue Province.
At eco-museums, the unique cultural features are allowed to “live” in the local cultural environment and generate benefits to local communities, thus contributing to enhancing the local socio-economic situation.
At the macro level, these museums will help to promote the image of the land, culture and people while fostering Vietnam’s integration into the world.
