Ho Chi Minh City has many famous museums. Among them, there are museums you must definitely visit once such as Ho Chi Minh Museum, War Remnants Museum, and Ho Chi Minh City History Museum...
2. War Remnants Museum
3. Ho Chi Minh City History Museum
4. Southern Women's Museum
5. Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
6. Quang San Fine Arts Museum
7. Ao Dai Museum
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1. Ho Chi Minh Museum
Previously, this place was the headquarters of the Messageries Maritimes Transport Corporation (Messageries Impériales) - built in 1863. On the building, there are a pair of dragons mounted on the roof, in the style of "two dragons flanking the moon", so it is often called "Dragon House", and the harbor in this area is also called Nha Rong Wharf.
And this is also where young man Nguyen Tat Thanh went to find a way to liberate the nation from slavery, bringing the country to freedom and independence.
Operating hours: 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day
Ticket price: 20.000 VND/person
Address: No. 1 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Ward 12, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City
2. War Remnants Museum
The War Remnants Museum is worth a few hours visit, a vast exhibition that tells a harrowing story of the brutal war. The infamous 'tiger cage' cells, bamboo torture devices and photos of chemical weapons victims are displayed on many floors. It's tough for sure, but it's one of the best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you want to understand the terrible suffering of Vietnamese civilians during the war.
Even visitors with little interest in war should not leave the city without visiting the War Remnants Museum. The museum's fascinating exhibitions give visitors invaluable insight into a decisive chapter in Vietnam's history and thus, a deeper understanding of Vietnam today.
Some of the images on display will likely go beyond visitors' imaginations, especially those of the widespread devastation caused by US napalm bombs and the terrible toxic effects of Agent Orange on the people of Vietnam. Many visitors may need to stop and rest between exhibits. The museum also offers a rare opportunity to see some of the experimental weapons used during the war, which were once military secrets, such as the flechette, an artillery shell containing thousands of tiny darts. Save the ground floor for the finale and let the display of the global anti-war movement help you leave on a brighter note about the future and world peace.
Operating hours: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., all days, including weekends and holidays
Ticket price: 40,000 VND/person
Address: 28 Vo Van Tan, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
3. Ho Chi Minh City History Museum
A beautiful pagoda-style roof of the city's Historical Museum is visible from afar. Located next to the Botanical Garden, the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum was first established in 1929, during the French colonial period of Indochina, essentially the first museum in Southern Vietnam. Over the years, the museum has undergone many renovations and expansions but still retains its unique nature.
The 15 galleries inside the museum display a variety of artifacts and exhibits illustrating the history of Ho Chi Minh City and the surrounding area, from the Nguyen Dynasty, the French colonial period, and the years of war.
Visitors can learn about the history of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City through the museum's interesting exhibitions, which cover a variety of topics such as the city's history, culture and heritage. Visitors can also see artifacts and items unique to the city and its people, such as traditional costumes, ceramics, and textiles.
Operating hours: From Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Ticket price: 30.000 VND/person
Address: No. 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
4. Southern Women's Museum
The Southern Women's Museum is a space dedicated to honoring the remarkable achievements of Vietnamese women. The museum has a total of 27 permanent exhibitions, as well as many themed exhibitions and traveling exhibitions. One of the fascinating exhibitions focuses on the development of Ao Dai, Vietnam's traditional costume. There are 65 artifacts displaying the changes and sophistication of Ao Dai designs throughout history.
This museum is dedicated to honoring the achievements of Vietnamese women. Through exhibitions, the museum showcases the courage and endurance of women during the historic Vietnam War, providing insights into daily life, religious practices and the heritage of their culture.
The first floor is the most accessible for foreign visitors, with introductory panels in English and French, along with traditional handicraft products and Ao Dai. The remaining two floors display images and stories of notable Vietnamese women in history, as well as the role of women during wartime. Most of the introduction boards on these two floors are in Vietnamese.
Operating hours: From Monday to Sunday, from 08:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
Ticket price: 40.000 VND/person
Address: No. 200-202 Vo Thi Sau, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
5. Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts is worth a visit to see some of the country's most beautiful relics from the Cham and Oc Eo cultural periods.
The Contemporary Art area in the museum is divided into two periods: from the beginning of the twentieth century to 1975 and from 1975 to the present. Here, you can find a number of contemporary paintings by famous artists in Vietnam such as Nguyen Gia Tri, Diep Minh Chau, Do Quang Em and Trinh Cung, as well as around the world in two periods.
The paintings and sculptures mainly talk about the daily lives of Vietnamese people as well as the beauty of Vietnam's famous landscapes.
The building itself, where the fine arts museum is located, has its own story. The building was built in 1929 and inaugurated in 1934. The original owner of the building was a Chinese businessman named Hua Bon Hoa, one of the wealthiest merchants in South Vietnam during the colonial period. land. He is also the owner of many other projects such as Tu Du Hospital, Majestic Hotel and Ho Chi Minh City Emergency Center.
The museum is a three-story building, built in the Art-deco architectural style, an architectural style that harmoniously combines the most quintessential values from Asian and European schools of fine arts. You can easily see the Chinese design in the elevators, which are decorated like an ancient Chinese palanquin, or the red tiled roofs in the Yin-Yang style. Furthermore, European art appears in the colorful glass windows and many other details.
Operating hours: From Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Ticket price: 30.000 VND/person
Address: No. 97A Pho Duc Chinh, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
6. Quang San Fine Arts Museum
Quang San Museum is the first private fine arts museum in Vietnam, opening to the public in June 2023.
The collection of Quang San Fine Arts Museum is considered "unique" in Vietnam with valuable paintings about Vietnamese art, history and painting culture. Many paintings here are estimated by art lovers to be worth up to millions of US dollars. Viewers can easily imagine the historical development of Vietnamese painting through periods, from the French colonial period to the resistance war, peace and contemporary painting of the country.
The 3-storey building is located on the banks of the Saigon River, displaying about 1,300 Vietnamese works of art with high cultural and national historical value. The ground floor displays work of art by famous painters and sculptors, from the generation of French artists and professors who traveled and resided in Indochina in the early 1900s to the student classes.
Meritorious graduates of the first university course of the Indochina School of Fine Arts (1925-1945), special works of art by famous names of modern Vietnamese art are displayed in this exhibition space 1A. Moreover, the museum includes other important names of this period who were not trained under the art education system established by France.
The exhibition space 1B focuses on the next 30-year historical period of the resistance war against French colonialism (from 1945-1954) and American imperialism (from 1954-1975).
The artworks displayed on the 2nd floor belong to the post-war period, after the reunification of North and South (1975), and the start of the Doi Moi (Renewal) policy (since 1986).
Operating hours: From Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Ticket price: 200.000 VND/person
Address: 189B/3 Nguyen Van Huong Street, Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City
7. Ao Dai Museum
If you are interested in the beauty and history of Vietnam's traditional costume - Ao Dai, the Ao Dai Museum is a destination not to be missed in the list of interesting museums in Ho Chi Minh City.
This is one of two private museums belonging to the thematic museum group of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City. Built more than 10 years ago, this museum in Ho Chi Minh City is the creative idea of fashion designer Sy Hoang, with the goal of bringing the history and value of traditional Ao Dai closer to the people.
The museum's architecture has a classic look with wooden frames and yin-yang tiled roofs. The inside is divided into two main parts: the right side displays Ao Dai sets through each period, and the left side displays real Ao Dai sets associated with Vietnamese women who have made great contributions in political and societal fields in the twentieth century.
Opening hours: From Monday to Sunday every week from 08:30 - 17:30
Ticket price: Tourists 50.000 VND/ticket, students/children 30,000 VND/ticket
Address: No. 206/19/30 Đ. Long Thuan, Long Phuoc Ward, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City
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