The objects on show at the exhibition, organised by the museum, are mostly made of silver, brass, precious stones, porcelain, silk, wood and paper.

Among them are a pair of ivory tusks donated by a Vietnamese expatriate living in France, a tea set gifted by Doan Phuoc Thuan, a collector in the central coastal province of Phu Yen, and a collection of King Minh Mang’s poems written on paper donated by Frenchman Andre de Crozet.

A set of three life-size brass statues of Jesus’s mother Mary, donated by a Hue-based company, is among the most valuable relics on show.

At the time of the exhibition’s opening, Nguyen Huu Hoang donated a porcelain basin and plate, Le Gia donated a land register, and a group of collectors presented a pair of vermilion-lacquered gilded wood panels.

The exhibition will go on until the end of the year.

Old wooden doors have been used to express the artistic ideas of young painter Tran Lam Binh in his first-ever solo exhibition, recently opened in Hanoi.

The former student of the Hue Fine Arts College has employed the traditional method of using lacquer to change the insentient doors into impressive and meaningful artworks. Binh, who was born in the central province of Quang Binh, said he bought all the doors at the Tay Loc flea market in the ancient imperial capital of Hue.

“For many people, those doors are simply inanimate objects, but I realised the meaning hidden in those doors: they witnessed the ups and downs of society as well as the Hue locals,” said Binh.

Red and yellow are the main colours he used in each painting which, he explained, “represents the colour of glorious royal periods of the Nguyen dynasties in Hue“.

Binh also attached different items, including a mini gas holder, a crushed aluminium water pot, a piece of water tube and a roll of barbed wire, onto the paintings. “I want to express the connection between the past and the present. However, visitors to the exhibition may find other meanings when they contemplate my works.”

A University of Technology student, Pham To Uyen, commented on the paintings: “A great meaning hidden behind simple expression.”

Another exhibition visitor, Le Trung Hoang, who is also an artist, appreciated the effort Binh made overcoming the long distance to bring the doors from the centre to Hanoi.

“I also appreciate the idea of using the old doors as a way to express artistic ideas. However, I prefer the original doors that Binh used for his installations to the ones he transformed into lacquer paintings. In my opinion, the original items themselves have a significant value,” he commented.

The exhibition, entitled Dong (Close), runs until February 5 at L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.

During the two-day event, various cultural activities was held, including an exhibition showcasing photos on Hoi An ancient town and documentary photos on Hoi An-Japan cultural exchanges and an artistic painting exhibition entitled “Colours of Heritages”.

There was a seminar on cultural heritage preservation and tourism development, an introduction of Japanese cuisine and performances of Japanese musical instruments and children’s games.

The event, co-organised by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Hoi An People’s Committee, offers a chance for artists in particular and the people of the two countries in general to exchange and share their own special cultural characteristics, thus helping boost the friendship between the two nations.

For anyone unfamiliar, the floating market is a strange concept. However, visitors will understand as soon as they see the boats filled with vegetables, fruit and various consumer goods running back and forth along the river that runs through Cai Be Town to make sales transactions, from early morning until late in the evening.

Tourists can hire a powerboat to sail along the river to experience exactly how buoyant and animated a floating market is. Cai Be Market begins from about 5 a.m. as merchandisers purchase their goods there and then sail to other provinces. It is currently one of the biggest wholesale markets in the Mekong Delta region.

The wooden boats sell flowers and agricultural products, domestic goods and food. On the deck of one boat, we can see a family and even some dogs, pigs and chickens as the boat is their mobile home. The boats can stop to bank at land whenever and wherever their drivers like.

Tourists can also enjoy their breakfast, a hot bowl of Hu tiu My Tho (My Tho-style noodle soup) with a dark coffee, on the boats.

The special market forms on the place that meets the river flows of Vinh Long, Tien Giang and Ben Tre and gathers hundreds of boats which carry goods, especially agricultural goods from other provinces, including Vinh Long sweet potatoes and Hau Giang pumpkins. Cai Be Town, where those rivers cross, is renowned for its fruit including the terracotta colored oranges, the sweet Hoa Loc mangoes or Xa Li guavas.

Tourists need not ask what each boat sells, as products are clearly visible, allowing customers to choose the boat they would like to see.

Alongside the floating markets are houses and construction sites built close to the river or even on the banks, as people there mostly earn their living by fishing or selling products on boats. At sunset, sailing along the river to contemplate the old and new buildings casting shadows on the water will give tourists unforgettable memories.

After sailing on the river for a while, tourists can drop by a farmer’s house to take a rest, spending the day in fruit farms, tasting local cuisine and produce, and listening to old stories.

For those who have a tight schedule, visiting Cai Be floating market or the fruit farms will only take one day.