Vietnam National Museum of History

The Vietnam National Museum of History is a cultural landmark that works to protect, show, and explain Vietnam's long and rich history, from prehistoric times to the present. It has a huge collection of valuable documents and artifacts, including many National Treasures that show how the country's culture, politics, and art have changed over time.

The museum is in a beautiful building from the French colonial era that is known for its famous dome. Ernest Hébrard, a famous French architect and urban planner, designed the building. It is a beautiful mix of French and Chinese architectural styles. To improve natural ventilation and shield against the tropical sun, the building included new features like double walls and wide balconies.

The École Française d'Extrême-Orient built the museum in 1926 and finished it in 1932. At first, it was called the Louis Finot Museum. The Vietnamese government took over the museum and officially changed its name to the Vietnam National Museum of History. It opened to the public on September 3, 1958. The old Vietnam Revolution Museum, which was built in 1917 as the Indochina Department of Commerce, also opened to the public in 1959. The resources and collections of both museums were combined to make the Vietnam National Museum of History as it is today, more than fifty years later.

The museum has a quiet, serious feel to it. It is painted a warm yellow color and is surrounded by rows of old trees. The museum has almost 4,000 square meters of exhibition space and displays about 10,000 artifacts in chronological order. This method combines open displays with thematic exhibitions. This lets the museum add new items to its collections that have been researched and acquired, which keeps the exhibitions interesting and new. The ground floor has things from Vietnam's prehistoric period, which goes back 300,000 to 400,000 years, as well as things from the time when the country was being built up through the Tran Dynasty. The Hoang Ha bronze drum from Ha Dong and the Dao Thinh bronze pillar from Yen Bai are the two most important artifacts in the main hall.

As people walk through the galleries, they see a wide variety of beautiful things, such as royal crowns and ritual ceramics that are delicately gold-plated, mother-of-pearl inlaid wooden screens, and stone sculptures from the Champa civilization. The large Dong Son bronze drum, which was found in Thanh Hoa Province, is the most famous item on display. This ceremonial drum, which dates back to the 2nd–1st centuries BCE, is intricately decorated with human and animal motifs. Its design is now a national symbol, and it can be found all over Vietnam.

Opening hours: Monday (Closed), Tuesday – Sunday (8.00 am to 12.00 pm, 1.30 pm – 5.00 pm)

Ticket: Adults: 40,000 VND/ person

Address:

• The first building is at 1 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi (Vietnamese History from the Prehistoric period to the Nguyen dynasty, 1945).

• The second building is at 216 Tran Quang Khai Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi (Vietnamese History from the mid-19th century to present).

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