The inauguration of DR Congo National Museum, MNRDC (Muse ́es National de la RDC), took place on Saturday, November 23, 2019. The DR Congo National Museum project aims to preserve and protect DR Congo’s cultural relics by supporting construction, dispatching experts, invitational workshop, every equipment, and after-care from KOICA.

The Congo National Museum, MNRDC (Muse ́es National de la RDC), represents South Korea's first cultural aid in the Third World region, by investing a total of KRW 21.4 billion or USD 20 million. The exterior of the facility, mimicking the architecture of traditional Congoli’s house makes it stand out as a famous landmark in Kinshasa. In July 2011, the former DR Congo president visited National Museum of Korea, and advocated the need of renovation of the national museum in DR Congo where thousands of folk masks were worn out, and this was the starting point of this project.

Since DR Congo's independence from Belgium in 1960, numerous DR Congo relics have been taken out of the country and difficult to trace, thereby National Museum Institute, IMNZ (IInstitut des Muse ́es Nationaux du Zaire) was established. After two civil wars in 1996-2001, the Laurent Cabila regime renamed the country title from Zaire to “République démocratique du Congo” and IMNZ changed its name to IMNC. MNRDC is a public institute under IMNC. Through this museum project, MNRDC hopes to enhance cultural pride by developing techniques of conservation and scientific research, enhancing the value of DR Congo's cultural heritage, and providing history and cultural education to the public.

Since the opening on November 23, 2019, the museum received a record 800-1,000 visitors per day. The majority of the visitors are especially the groups of students as well as foreigners. It was reported in the European press, increasing international recognition of KOICA’s contribution to the international development cooperation even further.

Currently, the DR Congo National Museum is home to comprehensive collection of over 12,200 antiques excavated from across DR Congo, while 427 artifacts on display. It fascinates visitors with the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. The gallery is divided into two sections. The first gallery houses extensive groups of materials from many tribes and the collection’s strength is in its archaeological array of objects from prehistoric age to the modern age. On the other hand, the collection in second gallery spans the entire life cycle of human beings, comprised of relics mostly from Kuba tribe which flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries in the region bordered by the Sankuru, Lulua, and Kasai rivers in the south-east of the modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In addition, the museum promises to offer a yet better window to prehistoric inhabitants of DR Congo by painting an intimate and vivid portrait of societies that existed in a far removed past. It is a location for diverse hands-on activities to enhance the visitor experience for special and temporary exhibitions for the all ages and special groups and continues to host events through various spaces such as libraries, seminar rooms, outdoor educational spaces, museum shops, and multipurpose halls. On December 6, the seminar on the development of Korea-DR Congo in collaboration with the Geopolitical Research Institute of Korea was held in the multipurpose hall of the museum and was reported in local newspapers and broadcast widely. Official events include Fashion Week and 12.12-14 African music events.

DR Congo National Museum is the first modern museum in DR Congo, the operating system and building structures in accordance with international standards. The collaborations of South Korean experts from various fields are credited with helping fuel the museum to become self-perpetuating and self-funded in the near future. They emphasize on the capacity building of local exhibitors and artists to learn techniques to date artifacts, analyze and to identify the place an artifact originated and the techniques used in their creation. By leveraging this ODA project, KOICA DRC will help DR Congo explore the interface between profitability and soaring DR Congo’s national prestige as a national museum.

Directions

Address: Boulevard Triomphal N4422, Commune de Lingwala, Ville-Province de Kinshasa

Contact

E-mail: mnrdc14@gmail.com

Facebook: Muse ́e National de la RD Congo

Visiting hours

Tue-Fri 09:00 am –16:30 pm

Sat, Sun, and holidays 09:00 am-17:00 pm

Admission fees

Nationals : Adults 3000 FC / Children 2000 FC / Student Organizations 3000 FC

Foreigners: 10 $ for adults / 5 $ for children