Vietnam History Museum

Formerly the Blanchard de la Brosse Museum, it was then called the Saigon National Museum in 1956. After 1975, it was renamed the Vietnam History Museum. Designed by a talented French architect, the building was previously used to display ancient art collections of several Asian countries. But after its expansion, it has displayed an interesting collection of about 30,000 artifacts from the early days of Vietnam to the present day.

Located inside the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the museum is worth a visit thanks to its Indochine-style ancient architecture, central location, and extensive collections. Built in 1929, with a harmonious combination of Indochinese and French styles, the museum and surrounding gardens offer visitors a peaceful space, away from the bustle of the city. From the outside, the main façade of the museum is like other colonial structures of the city, the museum is distinguished by its magnificence and antiquity. Inside, the walls of the main hall are decorated with white motifs, similar to French colonial architecture.

The collections displayed in 15 rooms cover every period of the country's history, arranged chronologically. Visitors can begin their exploration from the area displaying a collection of coins, axes and spears from the Dong Son civilization. Continue walking to learn about the unique culture of ethnic minorities in the South such as the Mekong Delta, Oc Eo culture or Cham art. Then came a series of sandstone sculptures and wood carvings, showing their religious symbols and deities. In this section, also attracting many visitors' attention is a set of valuable stone sculptures and relics from Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

The Vietnam History Museum also has a large space, showing the important years of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, including costumes, costumes and tools of ethnic minorities, archaeological findings. ancient from the area around Saigon. Visitors will be mesmerized by the precious clothes worn by members of the royal family as well as understand how ordinary people lived under the exploitation of the French colonialists and the rule of the emperor. ants.

In addition, the building also includes a small water puppet theater as well as a history research library inside the museum, where there are water puppet shows every hour from 10:00 to 16:00 (except 13 :00).

Address: 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Opening hours: daily 08:00 – 11:30 & 13:30 – 17:00