In 30 years of researching and collecting antiques, Nguyen Tu Xuyen of Buon Ma Thuot city has built a large collection of more than 20,000 items. Many of them are prime examples of Central Highlands culture – gongs, jewelry, and feast trays of minority ethnic groups. Since 2018 Xuyen has donated dozens of these valuable items to the Dak Lak Museum.

“The items I donated to the museum were my favorite items," Xuyen said, "I know there are many valuable antiques being held in private collections. I wanted to set an example for other collectors. I hope my donations will encourage them to contribute to the community. It would be very nice if we could gather and preserve the most important antiques in one place.”

Artifacts donated by private collectors to the Dak Lak Museum. (Photo: VOV)

Since 2019 Vo Minh Luan of Buon Ma Thuot city has donated 20 documents and artefacts from his Central Highlands collections. Among them are a ceramic vase that has images of the Buffalo-Stabbing Festival, a ceramic elephant pair made in the 1970s or 1980s, and such books about the Central Highlands as “We eat the forest”, “Magical land”, and “Colors of the Central Highlands”. Luan encourages fellow collectors in the Thuan An antique club to donate items to the Dak Lak Museum. As an antique collector and cultural researcher, he understands the importance of passing cultural values from generation to generation. He has made donations to other museums throughout Vietnam.

"I donate to the Dak Lak Museum every year," Luan said, "I believe this will help preserve the cultural values of the Central Highlands. I love to see my collections displayed at the museum, and I’d really like to see more antiques donated to museums in other localities so we can preserve all the nation’s cultural values.”

Donated artifacts are displayed in categories at Dak Lak Museum. (Photo: VOV)

Since the Dak Lak Museum began calling for donations in 2018, it has received more than 1,700 artefacts of archaeology and culture from different periods of national construction and development. Some collectors have donated rare items that no museum in Vietnam has ever possessed.

Dinh Mot, Director of the Dak Lak museum, said: "We have received donations from collectors inside and outside the province. Those who couldn’t deliver their items to us in person because of the COVID-19 epidemic still managed to get them to us. It is very important to preserve these rare and valuable antiques, as time will ruin them if they’re not preserved properly.”