Soc Trang is famous for many tourist attractions. Coming to Soc Trang, you will discover many cultures of different ethnic groups: Kinh, Chinese, Khmer. Those are the architectural works of pagodas, or culinary culture. In addition, visitors can choose Khmer museum in Soc Trang. Visiting the Museum will bring visitors information and deeper understanding of the unique culture of the Khmer people when you have any chance to explore Soc Trang.
General information about Khmer Museum in Soc Trang
Khmer Museum or Khmer cultural museum (Khmer cultural exhibition house) in Soc Trang was started construction in 1936 in the typical architectural style of commonly seen Khmer pagodas. The Khmer Museum was completed within three years and was inaugurated and officially put into operation in 1941. When it was first inaugurated, the Khmer museum was called the Samacum Association and was a meeting place of the Khmer monks’ association in the Mekong Delta region. Since 1986, Hau Giang Department of Culture and Sports received this place as a Khmer Traditional House and in 1992, when it was changed into Khmer cultural museum.
The entrance gate of the museum
Khmer Museum is located at 53 Ton Duc Thang, Ward 6, opposite Kh’leang pagoda – a pagoda that is up to 500 years old. Khmer Museum in Soc Trang is one of only two museums preserving the unique cultural features of the Khmer people in Mekong Delta – another one is located in Tra Vinh.
Opening hours: 6:30 – 17:30
The architecture of the museum
Soc Trang Museum possesses two outstanding features: the typical architecture of Khmer pagodas and a collection of cultural artifacts of this ethnic people. Regarding architecture, the houses in the museum system mainly have pointed and curved roofs. This place is divided into two main areas: the place to display artifacts (called the Masacum meeting house) and the office area.
With more than 2,300 m² cultural space with around 370 m² exhibit hall is the highlight of the provincial museum.
Collection of artifacts
As for the collection of artifacts, there are thousands of utensils and objects that have been closely associated with the cultural and daily life of the Khmer people in Soc Trang for many generations, from simple handmade agricultural tools such as: rice harvest rings; transplanting needles and harvest ring handles are made of horn material and decorated with geometric shapes and birds’ beaks; plows; harrows; shafts to stilt-style housing models and ancient production labor models of the Khmer people such as: carpentry, farming, weaving, mat weaving… and even traditional costumes.
Khmer orchestra instrument set.
Currently, the museum is preserving more than 13 thousand precious artifacts, of which more than half were donated by Khmer people, including collections of masks, leaf books, musical instruments, costumes and other artifacts. There are other values of Khmer culture.
Some artifacts are displayed in the museum
The rudimentary tools help visitors come here to systematically visualize the agricultural practices of the Khmer people since ancient times. Traditional costumes and musical instruments represent material and spiritual life, especially images of ancient festivals of the Khmer people.
- Best for: solo, family, student.
- Entrance: from 20.000VND
- Tourist spots nearby: Bốn Mặt (Four Faces) Pagoda, Bat Pagoda, Kh’Leang Pagoda, Chen Kieu Pagoda, Nga Nam Floating Market ….
Source: collected by An
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