Exhibition

Duyên Linh: The Imprint of Buddhism Across Time

Exhibition

Duyên Linh: The Imprint of Buddhism Across Time
Curators: Hoàng Ngọc An and Stephen Christopher

Hosted at Hải An Gallery in Hồ Chí Minh City from March to May 2026, this 45-day exhibition now continues online as a virtual experience. Duyên Linh traced the emergence of Tibetan Buddhism in Vietnam through temple statues, scroll paintings, prayer flags, monastic robes, and digital media. Organized around five Buddhist ideas – navigating, attracting, emitting, spinning, and tying – the exhibition explored how emergent Tibetan Buddhism takes shape in everyday Vietnamese life through personal stories, lived experiences, and creative expressions of faith.

Duyên Linh: The Imprints of Buddhism Across Time (2026)
Duyên Linh: The Imprints of Buddhism Across Time (2026) Duyen Linh Exhibition

Resources related to the exhibition include:

  • A 3D walkthrough featuring hundreds of interactive artworks, accompanied by a soundtrack of Tibetan-Vietnamese LOFI music.
  • An educational resource packet for introductory college courses, featuring activities and supplementary information designed to deepen engagement with the exhibition.
  • A series of ethnographic short films commissioned for the exhibition, presenting the research underlying the exhibition.
  • Publications associated with the exhibition, including an article in Museum Anthropology; a research catalogue published by Vajra Academic; an article in ICOM Voices, the International Council of Museums; and an article in #AsiaNow, the blog of the Association for Asian Studies.
3D Walkthrough

Explore the exhibition in an interactive 3D walkthrough. It plays audio, so it only loads once you press play below.

Open 3D Walkthrough in a new tab

Includes audio — starts only when you press play.

Educational Resource Packet

An educational resource for introductory college courses in religious studies, anthropology, Vietnamese studies, and Tibetan studies, designed to complement the exhibition.

Download PDF

Ethnographic Short Films

Short ethnographic films about various aspects of Tibetan Buddhism in Vietnam, directed by Lam Khau and produced by the exhibition curators.

The First Vietnamese Monk in Tibet: Thích Minh Tịnh's Legacy
The First Vietnamese Monk in Tibet: Thích Minh Tịnh's Legacy Duyen Linh Exhibition
Tibetan Buddhism and Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship (Đạo Mẫu)
Tibetan Buddhism and Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship (Đạo Mẫu) Duyen Linh Exhibition
A Tibetan Fire Ritual in Vietnam
A Tibetan Fire Ritual in Vietnam Duyen Linh Exhibition
Ghosts in the Bamboo
Ghosts in the Bamboo Duyen Linh Exhibition
Vajrayana in Vietnam: Roots and Renewal
Vajrayana in Vietnam: Roots and Renewal Duyen Linh Exhibition
A Self-Taught Vietnamese Thanka Artist
A Self-Taught Vietnamese Thanka Artist Duyen Linh Exhibition
A Vietnamese Vision of Vajrayana
A Vietnamese Vision of Vajrayana Duyen Linh Exhibition
The Story of Lâm Huê Temple
The Story of Lâm Huê Temple Duyen Linh Exhibition
Vietnamese Vajrayana Buddhism
Vietnamese Vajrayana Buddhism Duyen Linh Exhibition

Film 10
Coming soon

Film 11
Coming soon

Film 12
Coming soon

Publications

Article — Museum Anthropology

Forthcoming

Research Catalogue — Vajra Academic

Forthcoming

Article — ICOM Voices (International Council of Museums blog)

Forthcoming

Article — #AsiaNow (Association for Asian Studies blog)

Forthcoming