Dakar (VNA) - National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, accompanied by his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, toured the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar on the morning of July 24 (local time) as part of their ongoing official visit to Senegal.
Joining the visit were President of the Senegalese National Assembly El Malick Ndiaye and Vice Presidents.
The Museum of Black Civilisations is Senegal’s national museum, officially inaugurated in December 2018 to showcase Africa’s contributions to global cultural and scientific heritage.
Its establishment was first envisioned by Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal’s founding President, during the 1966 World Festival of Black Arts. In 2009, then-President Abdoulaye Wade proposed the museum’s construction, which commenced in 2013.
Covering 13,785 square metres, the museum features a four-storey circular building inspired by traditional impluvium huts. It houses exhibition halls, a conference room, a 150-seat auditorium, and creative and multifunctional spaces.
The museum currently displays around 18,000 artefacts, including historical objects and contemporary works. A prominent feature in the main entrance is a large baobab tree sculpture by Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié. The museum is also working with several European partners to locate and repatriate Senegalese artefacts.
Writing in the museum’s guestbook, NA Chairman Man expressed his delight at visiting this remarkable cultural symbol, which honours the proud historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of the African continent.
He emphasised that the official visit to Senegal not only strengthens mutual understanding between the two nations but also opens new avenues for deepening friendship and cooperation towards a future of peace and prosperity./.
