Located in a small coastal alley in Man Thai Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang City, Huynh Van Muoi Exhibition House is a familiar destination for locals and tourists. The name of the house is also the name of its founder - Mr. Huynh Van Muoi, a son of Man Thai fishing village.
To preserve the culture of the fishing village, Mr. Muoi has spent many years collecting fishing tools and souvenirs, recreating the image of fishermen's life in the heart of the coastal city. In front of the yard and right in the living room of the house, Mr. Muoi arranged items such as nets, baskets, jars, fish pounding pestles, etc. to create a lively display space, evoking the image of the old fishing village in the eyes of visitors.
These artifacts come not only from his family but also from other fishermen in the area, who donated their old items after the fishing profession gradually disappeared due to urbanization.
Entering the kitchen, visitors will encounter a small corner that Mr. Muoi has converted into a fish sauce production workshop. Unlike ordinary fish sauce workshops, Mr. Muoi's kitchen corner is both a place to produce fish sauce and a unique display area, allowing visitors to experience the traditional fish sauce making process. Mr. Muoi confided: "I am always willing to share how to make fish sauce, from fermented fish sauce to fermented fish sauce, so that people can make it at home while still preserving the traditional flavor, without hiding anything."
After his father passed away in 2007, Mr. Muoi began to cherish the dream of preserving the memories of Man Thai fishing village through each souvenir. It was not until 2019, with the support of relatives and fellow fishermen, that Mr. Muoi completed the exhibition house right in his own house. The items were not only preserved by his family for many generations, but were also donated by local people.
Sharing about his journey of collecting souvenirs, Mr. Muoi said: "When urbanization caused many fishermen to quit their jobs, I went to each house to ask for old fishing tools to keep for display."
Many tourists could not hide their excitement when visiting the exhibition house, especially when directly experiencing the traditional fish sauce making process. In particular, many groups of students and tourists had the opportunity to visit and experience making fish sauce thanks to the connection from Da Nang Museum. After visiting, many tourists expressed their desire to return to continue to experience more deeply and listen to emotional stories from Mr. Muoi.
In addition to displaying the relics, Mr. Muoi also plans to build miniature models of the old fishing village right in his house. He hopes that these images will help the younger generation and tourists better understand the life of the traditional fishing village.
Huynh Van Muoi Exhibition House not only preserves valuable relics but also tells the proud story of Man Thai fishing village - where the children of the sea have persistently attached themselves to and preserved the soul of their homeland through many generations.
(Article from the Central Highlands - Central Spring Labor publication 2025)
