Our entire family loves museums, so during our trip to Vietnam, we made sure to visit them in Ho Chi Minh City as well.
The first on our list was the Museum of Vietnamese History, housed in an elegant building where French colonial style harmoniously blends with traditional Asian motifs. Its collection spans millennia, beginning from prehistoric times and concluding in the mid-twentieth century. Visitors can see unique artifacts from the Oc Eo culture, exquisite statues from the Champa period, and precious items from the eras of royal dynasties. It was by these treasures that Erika and I lingered the longest.
“Look at this magnificent crown. And these beads. And these earrings. It is simply incredible,” Erika said. We were both equally charmed by the ceramics.
“What tiny tea sets. Just like they are for dolls. And these golden plates are simply superb!” my daughter continued to chatter. She was also struck by the traditional Vietnamese costumes.
“They are almost all as bright as the sun and look luxurious thanks to the stones embroidered on them,” she commented with the air of an expert.
Meanwhile, my husband and son focused their attention on a collection of masterfully inlaid swords and rather large cannons. This place is ideal for those who seek to feel the true spirit of the past in the heart of a modern metropolis, as history truly comes alive here.
Next, we headed to the War Remnants Museum, which is one of the most visited sites in the city. It documents the tragic pages of the conflict and details the brutality of the American forces, including facts of mass torture of the civilian population and merciless massacres of children. I was particularly moved by a well that a Vietnamese grandfather had donated to the museum; it was in this very well that Americans drowned three of his grandchildren. Separate rooms are dedicated to the use of banned weapons, such as napalm and phosphorus bombs, as well as the horrific consequences of the use of the defoliant “Agent Orange”. This chemical attack caused an ecological catastrophe and genetic mutations in subsequent generations. The museum displays photos of children with mutations, and it looks truly frightening.
In addition, the exhibition demonstrates global solidarity through the condemnation of the war, not only by the countries of the former socialist camp but also by close allies of the USA. An important part of the display consists of materials regarding the mass anti-war protests within the United States itself, where thousands of citizens spoke out against violence and demanded an immediate end to the aggression. Every exhibit here calls for the preservation of peace and the memory of innocent victims.
Finally, we visited the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, located in a majestic yellow colonial-era mansion that once belonged to the wealthiest family in the city. The building impresses with its elegant combination of French Art Deco and traditional Eastern elements, such as the “yin-yang” tiled roof. The halls present over twenty-nine thousand exhibits: from ancient sculptures of the Champa and Oc Eo cultures to modern Vietnamese painting and lacquerware.
Erika wanted to take a photo with almost every painting here, while Arian tried to understand exactly what the artist had painted when it came to modern canvases. In one painting, he saw Mars, but it turned out to be a crimson sea. Atmospheric corridors with stained glass and an antique elevator make this museum an extremely popular spot for aesthetic walks.
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