Client:          Tung Lam Development Company
Location:     Yen Tu Mountain, Vietnam
Timescale:   2016 - 2017

In 2016, Cultural Innovations was appointed by the Tung Lam Development Company to develop the interpretive plan, concept and scheme design for the new Exhibition of the Enlightened King at Yen Tu Mountain in northern Vietnam. The exhibition tells the story of the 13th-century Vietnamese King Tran Nhan Tong and the Vietnamese Buddhism Sect that he established. 

There are seven separate zones planned in the new 450 m² exhibition, which explain to visitors how the Tran family came to the throne and in particular what King Tran Nhan Tong achieved for Vietnam and for Vietnamese Buddhism. Visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the religious significance of Yen Tu Mountain, which is already the major pilgrimage route in Vietnam.

The material palette we created uses a range of timbers to create a natural and traditional feel in keeping with the remote rural setting – lighting and etching is used to accentuate this material selection. Layered illustrative backdrops, using shadowing and contours, add colour and highlight key events and themes in the narrative.