Alexandre Yersin Museum
8 - 10 Tran Phu St, In the Pasteur Institute, Nha Trang, Vietnam
The attractiveness of Alexandre Yersin Museum is the artifacts rich in variety inside. It displays the wisdom, passion for scientific research in numerous different fields of science of Alexandre Yersin.
Located within the campus of Pasteur Institute at No.4 Tran Phu Street, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa province, Alexandre Yersin Museum is built on the second floor of the house on right hand side of Pasteur Institute. The museum retains an area of 100m2 and exhibits a very small portion remaining objects that scientists had used, nearly one thousand books from the series "One Thousand and One Nights" to the classic literary works of the famous authors worldwide, the handwritten letters from him, things of an erudite scholar in all fields of medicine, astronomy, geography, science and art... Alexandre Yersin Museum has long been a tourist attraction in Nha Trang attracting numerous international tourists.
Looking back the course of history, Alexandre Yersin, a young 28-year-old French man first put his foot on Nha Trang coast in July 1891. In 1894, after discovering the plague bacterium in Hong Kong, A. Yersin returned Vietnam and decided to stay here forever. With just a few horses having bred for experiments, he was the first human manufacturing the specific serum against this dangerous disease. Thanks to this amazing result, he laid the foundation to establish Nha Trang Pasteur Institute in 1895 and Suoi Dau Breeding Farm in 1896 with the aim of studying and modulating vaccines and serum for humans and animals.
As one of the unique museums in Nha Trang, Alexandre Yersin Museum is home to store all the wisdom, passion of research in many different scientific fields of the owner. From the ancient Leroy clocks, family photos of A. Yersin doctor, material articles, autographs of letters, signal antennas, globes, electrical measuring instruments, 500 photos both on paper and on the glass, and laboratory instruments... And especially the big telescope in the left corner of the room... All the things here partly show off his activities during his life.
Going to this Nha Trang museum, apart from looking at things having been sticking to who devoted his life to science, tourists have a chance to admire the life of the great man but extremely simple: great in knowledge but simple in life. Witnessing the model of his old house, a 3-storey house with 4 sides retaining doors, tourist can realize his closeness to the life of Vietnam people. In the middle of the museum is the model old room he used to live. Beds, bookcases, mirrors, wardrobe cabinet, rattan furniture and everyday objects seemly talk about a life of humility and simplicity. There is also a computer produced in 1920 on the workbench. These simple things are the precious artifacts attracting tourists in almost their Nha Trang travel.
Looking at artifacts in the room, tourists can partially reconstruct the life of a scientist at that time with much interest: these objects were relatively modern at that time. Hidden in photos on the glass looked through a projector, tourists can retrieve his activities from his house to real expertise of the doctor, his daily life closely incorporating with people in Xom Con, the image of Vietnam at that time, scenery, plants, birds and beautiful orchids. Visiting the unique museum becomes one of the best things to do in Nha Trang.
It will be also a big deficiency if visiting artifacts of A. Yersin doctor without setting foot on his grave in Suoi Dau (Oil Springs). It is about 20 km from Nha Trang to the south on National Highway 1A. It is both an area full of greenery and home to breed horses for vaccine research of Institut Pasteur. The path to his grave is covered with eucalyptus trees both sides and the large old trees with tangled vines. The climate is relatively cool all year round suggesting the way to Lam Vien Plateau - Di Linh which he found more than a century ago.
Situated on a small and tranquil hill with the rustling wind, A.Yersin's grave is unassuming like his life. Beside the grave, there is a shrine with his photo, incense bowl and vase of flower inside. All represents one thing: he lived, devoted and attached with Vietnam people and chose this land as his hometown until end of the life. Alexandre Yersin and his Museum are worth an important position in the minds of Nha Trang people in particular and Vietnam in general. The museum deserves one of the impressive tourist attractions in Nha Trang alluring both domestic and foreign tourists.
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