Southeast Asian cultures on show

5 Oct, 2010

Hanoi (VNA)- As many as 42 objects related to Southeast Asian cultures are on display at an exhibition, which opened in Hanoi on October 4 in the presence of the Swiss, French, Swedish and Indonesian diplomatic corps in Hanoi.

The exhibition, “A glimpse of South East Asia,” which presents costumes, lacquer art and Indonesian tribal art paintings on glass, is part of a Southeast Asia Corner project, a virtual museum on the regional cultures.

The project aims to enrich public knowledge of the diverse and vibrant Southeast Asian culture.

It is also expected to help visitors discover the similarity and difference between nations in the region, said organisers from the Vietnam Ethonology Museum, which will house the Southeast Asian Corner.

Since 2006, the museum has collected over 2,000 objects, 8,000 documentary pictures and more than 30 video tapes from the other nine members of the Southeast Asian Nations, namely Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Laos and Myanmar.

Under the project, a building called “Kite” is now under construction to showcase fabrics and costumes, daily life, social life, performance art and religion of the regional countries.

The Head of the Southeast Asian Section, Dr. Vi Van An, said the collection has highlighted the traditional weaving technology with special techniques and products popular not only in the region but also in Europe .

He cited two Gadang costumes of tribes living in north of the Philippines.

Also worth of notes are nine lacquer-painted objects of Myanmar, including those dating back hundreds of years.

“A Glimpse of Southeast Asia” exhibition will last until November 5, 2011. (VNA)