Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is an insightful preservation of the socio-cultural and daily life of 54 ethnic minorities in Vietnam. Constructed on the land of 4 hectares, this museum is divided into three buildings including Bronze Drum Building, Kite Building and Garden of Architecture. The Bronze Drum building displays symbolic antiques such as clothes, jewelry and daily objects relating to their living, farming, raising cattle and other spiritual rituals of seven ethnolinguistic groups. On the other hand, the Kite Building contains four exhibitions including Southeast Asia Cultures, Indonesian Glass Paintings, A Glimpse into Asia and Around the World.
Address: Nguyen Van Huyen street, Quan Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District
Entrance fee: from 10,000 VND
Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, Hanoi
Housed in a gorgeous French Colonial building formerly used by the French Ministry of Information, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum is a real treasure trove of traditional, religious, modern and contemporary Vietnamese art. The museum can sometimes be completely empty, a remarkable detail considering the quality of the work on display.
Chronologically organized, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum offers an easy lesson in the history of Vietnamese art and features ancient Champa carvings, 20th-century folk paintings, and 21st-century abstract works. The museum is so large and densely packed with artworks that you might want to make more than one visit to take it all in and be sure to take a moment to view the sublime effigies of Guan Yin, the 1,000-armed and 1,000-eyed goddess of compassion.
Address: 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Dien Ban Ward, Ba Dinh District
Entrance fee: 30,000 VND.
B-52 Victory Museum
Many foreigners are interested to learn more about military history and victory of Vietnam. This place definitely tells you about the very memorable years of fierce war, the bravery and persistence of Vietnamese people.
For the outdoor exhibition, the most prominent thing is the evidence of the disastrous U.S. such as a B52 of 48,07m wreck, wingspan of 56.42 m and many other aircraft debris.
Address: 57 Doi Can street, Ngoc Ho Ward, Ba Dinh District
Entrance fee: Free
Vietnam Military History Museum
The Vietnam Military History Museum Hanoi, also known as the Army Museum, houses an extensive collection of weaponry that was used throughout Vietnam’s war-filled history. Ideal for history buffs looking to know more about the country, there are plenty of authentic war relics, weapons, and detailed accounts by former soldiers who have fought against the French and American forces.
Notable attractions include the wreckage of an American B-52 bomber, an M107 self-propelled gun, and a military tank that had ploughed through the gates of Saigon’s Presidential Palace, thus ending the Vietnam War in 1975. You can also find classic propaganda videos, improvised weapons, a diorama of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and exhibitions of artefacts dating back to the Hong Bang Dynasty.
Address: 28A Dien Bien Phu street, Dien Ban Ward, Ba Dinh distrist
Entrance fee:
Vietnamese: 20,000 VND
Foreigner: 40,000 VND
Hoa Lo Prison Museum
The remains of Hoa Lo Prison, a penitentiary ironically known by the American soldiers held captive there during the American-Vietnamese War as the ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ was turned into a museum in the ’90s chronicling the experiences of prisoners of war in Vietnam. Primarily a memorial to Vietnamese revolutionary martyrs who endured horrible suffering at the hands of the French colonialists, Hoa Lo’s most captivating display is of a macabre French guillotine.
The remaining chilly, damp cells and rusted iron stocks used in the torture of prisoners give a disturbing glimpse of life as a prisoner in Vietnam’s most notorious prison, but the most intriguing award has to go to an exhibition dedicated to the experience of American POWs held at Hoa Lo. The exhibition features John McCain’s flight suit and parachute. That’s the same John McCain who admitted to attempting suicide numerous times during his stay at Hoa Lo, but judging by the shameless propaganda on the walls of this exhibition, he and the other US captives thoroughly enjoyed their time there.
Address: 1 Hoa Lo street, Tran Hung Dao Ward, Hoan Kiem District
Entrance fee: 20,000 VND.
Vietnamese Women’s Museum
It is very rare that a country has a museum dedicated to women. However, you can find two women’s museum in Vietnam, Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi and Southern Vietnam Women Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. There are three themes which are exhibited in Vietnamese Women’s Museum including Women in Family, Women in History and Women’s Fashion. Narratives in Vietnamese, English and French can be found for every object. Visitors will be fascinated with colorful and impressive traditional jewelry and costumes made by skillful handicrafts of ethnic minorities.
You will surely respect mostly-neglected women’s contributions in marriage and childbirth, admire Vietnamese heroics during two resistance wars and be attracted by the rituals of Mother Goddess worship. Do not forget numerous colorfully-painted Non La hanged impressively throughout all five floors of this museum.
Address: 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hang Bai Ward, Hoan Kiem District
Entrance fee: 30,000 VND