Inside Vietnam’s brand-new coffee museum

By Ngoc Diep December 6, 2018 | 03:41 am PT

Housed in an ethnic Central Highlands long house, it traces the history of the brew in Vietnam and the world.

The World of Coffee Museum in Buon Me Thuot City, Dak Lak Province, will open to visitors on December 4, from 8 a.m to 7 p.m. From its architecture to the exhibits inside, it is one of the most unique museums in the country.

The museum is built in the Central Highlands’ ethnic long house style. Its owner, Trung Nguyen Legend Group, hopes to attract local and foreign tourists and make Buon Ma Thuot the "global coffee capital."

On the company's website, chairman and founder Dang Le Nguyen Vu stated: "Coffee is a treasure of the universe, a heritage of mankind and a solution for the future."

In addition to the exhibition space, the museum also has a library of light, and places for coffee drinks and workshops. These facilities are part of the Coffee City, which spreads over more than 45 hectares.

The museum's collection of more than 10,000 artifacts showing the history of coffee has been brought from Germany’s Jens Burg Museum.

As the museum is yet to open to the public, it is still a work in progress.

Unlike other museums, the interior of the World of Coffee is completely open to visitors. The exhibits are not placed in glass cases.

In addition to the Jens Burg Museum collection, Coffee World also features a wide range of items, production tools used in Vietnam from the earliest days until now. Many of the early artifacts delight visitors.

Interactive spaces allow visitors to experience the coffee culture through all five senses. Some areas are only for viewing and not photographing.

From its design to arrangement style, the museum reflects the cultures of the Central Highlands. The interiors are high and have plenty of natural light.

The World of Coffee Museum is opened in preparation for the 2019 Coffee Festival of Vietnam. The country is the second largest exporter of coffee after Brazil.

It is a 360-degree virtual museum. Every item exhibited in the museum is shown in 3D with a detailed description.

The admission fee is VND75,000 ($3.22) for adults and VND40,000 ($1.72) for children.