A Walk Through The Memorial Museum

I like visiting museums. They all tell a story. I'd give up shopping malls for a stroll through the museums. When a visit to the Kaysone Phomvihan Memorial Museum was listed on the itinerary, I decided to keep an open mind and go along. In that, I refused to read up on all literature about the museum since it opened in 2000.

As founding father of Lao PDR, Kaysone Phomvihan is accorded the greatest respect in the country. The US$8-million dollar museum (partially funded by Vietnam) reflects exactly that. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the 30 foot tall cast iron sculpture of the Great Leader. Accordingly, many in the delegation took photos in front of it.

Photography isn't allowed in the memorial musuem. I still snucked a few anyway. I took a photo of the mobile phones the Great Leader used! Those were huge Nokia water bottle phones and the Motorola StarTac. So retro!!! There was a clock he had used which displayed the time of his death.

I ignored the guide and the main delegation. I walked through the double storey museum on my own and completed the exhibits in 15 minutes. Never mind that the museum didn't have air-conditioning. It was dim and poorly ventilated. It was like a furnace inside. The hosts did arrange for some standing fans to move the air. But it was hot air. In the sizzling weather, I couldn't stand to be in there longer than necessary. It wasn't a comfortable experience.

For all the space available, the curator really hasn't done a good job of maximizing it. The content was severely lacking. It contained personal effects, photographs, newspaper cuttings. It felt like a place of worship. I didn't want to see this gigantic shrine dedicated to his honor. Then, there were random displays of products made in the country- beer, soft drinks, pharmaceuticals, washing powder, etc. I'm afraid that the writer was quite spot on in his initial observations about the contents of the museum. 9 years on, the curator still hasn't done any substantial or marked improvement.

However, what I want to visit, is the Great Leader's relatively humble one storey ranch- the house that he lived in before his death in 1992. From all accounts, everything has been kept in its original position- from the half empty Scotch bottles to clothes hanging in the wardrobe. I heard that it remains untouched till this day.

After the visit to the Memorial, of course I felt disappointed. :(