Ildike Piercy 40988672 - Local folk(lore): The Museum of Folklore Hoi An

Located in the heart of the historic town of Hoi An, the Museum of Folklore presents a unique opportunity for the discerning explorer or experience seeker to delve a little deeper, beyond the city’s beautiful rustic façades, into the rich history of cultural traditions that drove Hoi An’s development and growth as trading port. Set within a restored merchant’s house, the museum houses an impressive collection that includes historic photographs, traditional tools, ceramics, furniture and textiles. The unique traditional setting and detailed architecture of the building contextualizes the collection and sets the tone of the experience; by entering the historic building one feels almost as though they are stepping back in time. The suburban setting of the museum combined with the domestic scale of the spaces within creates an immersive experience and the natural light filtering in from the windows adds to the authenticity of the atmosphere. At first glance, what can seem like a dark and gloomy space soon becomes mysterious and intriguing to the visitor – almost as if you’re exploring someone’s home and perusing their personal possessions. This atmosphere works well for the museum’s main visitor demographic of international tourists and school students. The lack of directional maps and signs adds to the informal feel of the space and creates a free-choice learning environment where visitors can meander through the spaces and view the exhibits in any order (Kirshenblatt-Gimblett 1998).

The collection is grouped thematically into sections across the two levels of the museum with each exploring a traditional activity or occupation for example, fishing, silk weaving and ceramic production. A combination of photographs, dioramas, traditional equipment and artefacts are used to illustrate each activity and these work together to enable the visitor to interpret and understand the information in several different ways (e.g. visual and written formats). In addition, the museum employs several women who are stationed throughout the building to perform a range of traditional activities including silk production and cloth weaving; the products they create are then sold in the museum’s gift shop. These live-action elements effectively demonstrate the knowledge, traditional skills and time it takes to create such products in an accessible and engaging format that transcends the barrier of language (N .J. Fuller 1992). This performative element communicates these values subliminally to the visitor increasing their appreciation of the products on sale. The internal courtyard provides a peaceful area for visitors to stop and rest, a place where they can sip tea (also available in the gift shop) and recharge before continuing their visit.

However, the use of real women within the museum demonstrating traditional handicrafts in much the same way as the mannequins within the dioramas (see photographs below) can raise some challenging questions in terms of the role and value of women within society today. There also exists an opportunity for the museum to expand its visitor base by creating stronger connections to the other museums within Hoi An perhaps by creating an outdoor heritage trail linking the museums that visitors can follow. Overall, the Museum of Folkore in Hoi An is well worth a visit and provides an insight into the unique tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Hoi An.