A call to arms

The lighthouse, the night market and the endless beaches of golden sand have long drawn visitors to the coastal town of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam. Now the tourists have another attraction to occupy them: a museum that houses a unique collection of arms from around the world.

Located on Tran Hung Dao Street in Precinct 1, the museum features about 2,500 artefacts – the culmination of 70-year-old Robert Taylor’s 52 years of collecting arms from around the world.

The owner’s passion for arms is impressive. His collection includes precious artefacts of all kinds, including military weapons and costumes from West to East, both medieval and modern, like the sophisticated African guns made in 1820-1850 and the 19th century swords from Vietnam’s Muong ethnic minority.

“I have always been interested in military parades, especially as a young boy living in London seeing the bright costumes of the Queen’s cavalry and guards,” Taylor explains.

“The very first item I bought was when I was 18 years old. It was a cavalry sword made by a the English swordmaker, Robert Mole and Sons.”

Taylor worked as a mechanical engineer and then worked for a big Thai corporation. His work allowed him to travel around the world, where he sought out people with the same hobby, and became a member of a network of collectors, museums and auction houses. Nearly all of his spare money was spent on purchasing his favourite military weapons and costumes, enriching his collection over time.

Taylor first came to Vietnam at the request of a company to carry out a small project, but the beautiful beaches, fresh air, great weather and historical places of interest enticed him to settle down and build his own company in the coastal Vung Tau City. He also started to nurture his aspiration to establish his own museum in his second home.

In 2006, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province’s People Committee appealed for investment in the tourism industry. Taylor put in a proposal to bring his artefacts, which were still in England, to Vung Tau, but it proved to be easier said than done.

“The difficulty, first and foremost, was that there were no rules or regulations to establish a foreign museum in Vietnam,” he recalls. “So we had to ‘invent the wheel’, so to speak, with the local authority. After many meetings, the licence was issued and in 2011, I imported my collection of military artefacts to Vietnam.”

After four years of preparation, Taylor’s Worldwide Arms Museum first opened in January 2012 on Hai Dang Street. The museum, which is unique in Southeast Asia, has been recognised as the biggest private arms museum in Vietnam by the Vietnam Record Book Centre.

Taylor finds it difficult to pick out the most valuable item in his collection.

“There are so many precious items and to single any one out would be unfair to the others. All the items in my collection are precious,” he laughs.

Informational placards next to each artefact provide context on the arms, like the production year and origin.

To display military costumes, Taylor even had his own mannequins customised according to the height and physical characteristics of the soldiers who would have used those particular arms, including the shape of their faces and colour of their skin and hair.

He also attended a training course on heritage and community at HCM City University of Culture to hone his skills and prepare for his new position as the museum’s general director.

However, after only three months, the museum was forced to close. “Personal reasons,” Taylor says briefly.

Earlier this year, after realising the high potential for Taylor’s unique museum in attracting tourists, the provincial authority agreed to let him use a government building, to exhibit his collection.

The museum is expected to meet the demand for historical and cultural displays, and also contribute to preserving the ancient colonial building that was in a state of disrepair.

“We have renovated it and returned it to its original glory,” he says “It is a wonderful piece of history in itself and fitting to house my ancient relics.”

Taylor adds that he is thankful for the local authority’s approval, and especially the support he received from the woman, who later became his wife.

Since its re-opening on April 21, the museum has welcomed about 6,000 visitors and received an increasing number of tours booked by travel agencies.

“The collection assembled in this museum would rival any in the world,” says visitor Clint G. from Australia. “It not only features some very rare firearms, but an amazing collection of uniforms of all nationalities throughout many centuries. There are works of art and photos throughout.”

Taylor has retired from business and today concentrates on his museum.

“Now nothing pleases me more than seeing the visitors’ expressions of happiness and receiving their kind words after visiting my museum,” he says with a smile.