CaliToday (13/10/2025): In a quiet alley in Da Lat, the mountain city of Vietnam, lies a home that is more than a house it is a sanctuary for the soul of a nation. For 25 years, Nguyen Quoc Dung has embarked on a solitary, passionate mission: to find and preserve the vanishing artifacts of the Central Highlands' ethnic cultures. His collection, now numbering over 30,000 items, is a breathtaking testament to a lifetime of dedication.
It all began not with a grand plan, but with a single gift. A quarter-century ago, while living and working alongside the K'Ho ethnic community in a remote part of Lam Dong province, a friend gifted Mr. Dung a beautiful, ancient wine jar. Holding the artifact, he felt an immediate connection not just to the object, but to the history and identity it represented. That single jar ignited a spark, setting him on an epic journey across the mountains and villages of the Central Highlands.
This was no simple hobby. It became a consuming passion that reshaped his life. Mr. Dung, a self-taught historian and anthropologist, poured his heart and resources into his quest. He spent countless hours learning from books, documents, and, most importantly, from the elders in the villages he visited. He describes his journey with a wry smile as "more than half a life 'wasted'," a nod to the personal and financial sacrifices made for his love of history.
His home is now a veritable museum. Every available space the living room, hallways, even the veranda—is meticulously arranged with the fruits of his labor. The collection is a stunning panorama of the Central Highlands' cultural legacy. There are rows of ceremonial wine jars (ché), each with a unique story; sets of resonant gongs, which are the spiritual language of the local communities; intricate textiles, agricultural tools, and wooden sculptures that speak of the daily life, beliefs, and artistry of peoples like the Ede, Jarai, Bahnar, and K'Ho.
But Mr. Dung's mission extends far beyond personal ownership. He is a guardian, not a hoarder. Understanding that these treasures belong to the nation, he has become one of Vietnam's most generous private benefactors. He has donated hundreds of priceless artifacts to public museums and cultural centers across the country, from Ho Chi Minh City to An Giang province. His goal is simple: to ensure that the stories these objects tell are never forgotten and can be shared with generations to come.
In a world of rapid modernization, where cultural identities can fade, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung's quiet, persistent work is a powerful and inspiring act of preservation. He is a single man who has saved an entire library of cultural memory, one precious artifact at a time.
