Friday, October 28, 2011

Museums of Vietnam


Vietnam National Museum of history
National Museum of Vietnamese History is located in the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi, Vietnam. It began to be built in 1926 and was completed in 1932. The building was used to be the museum of the Far East Research Institute under French colonial rule (École française d'Extrême-Orient EFEO). From the year 1958, it was renamed to National Museum of Vietnamese History and has been open to tourists since 1920.

There are four maps on the wall of the hall of the National Museum of Vietnamese History, including the relief map of Vietnam, the natural resource map of Vietnam, the distribution map of the ethnic groups in Vietnam and the location map of Vietnam in Southeast Asia. These four maps show the territorial integrity, various landforms, many kinds of and evenly distributed mineral resources of Vietnam. There are altogether 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. The location of Vietnam is quite important, because it is very convenient to go to different regions in South Asia even in the world from Vietnam. There are a large number of items on display there, including some objects dating back to Neolithic Period, tools dating back to the Bronze Age, bronze drums made in the Mgoc Lu Age and Mieu Mon Age, remains of Chams, stone pillars, potteries and the sculptures of Goddess of Mercy with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes.

National Museum of Vietnamese History is one of the most magnificent buildings in Hanoi. It combines the architectural style of China in the east and that of France in the west. National Museum of Vietnamese History aims to introduce the ancient history of Vietnam. In the museum, tourists can learn about some ancient imperial edict of the emperor of Vietnam and some official document of the royal or imperial court, both of which were written in Chinese. The architectural style of the ancient furniture and the style of works of art in Vietnam are quite similar to those of China. There are a large number of collections in National Museum of Vietnamese History, showing the long and turbulent history of Vietnam from the Paleolithic Period.

Vietnam National Museum of Ethnology
This is the most recent yet probably the largest and undoubtedly the most interesting Museums in Hanoi and Vietnam. The Museum comes out of the recognition that Vietnam is a multi - ethnic country and that more attention should be paid to promote socio - cultural diversity. Despite being out of the way compared with other museums in Hanoi, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is worth a thorough visit, for those who are keen to learn about the multiculturalists of Vietnam and for those would appreciate some green apace.

There are indoors section while the in - housed exhibition is particularize, the outdoors display and actives make the museum stand out from the rest. There is a number of house modeling after the traditional architecture of ethnic minorities, especially those while live in Northern and Central highlands

You will be blown away by the elaboration of these architectures, at the same time being thoroughly need in traditional mages and activities such as water puppet show, calligraphy, stone game (O An Quan). The museum is especially a great choice for those who cannot find time to visit remote areas where live the majority of Vietnam ethnic minorities

Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts
The Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts in Hue – Vietnam is located on 3 Le Truc Street, Hue City in Vietnam. There are a variety of transport options to get to Hue City and eventually to the museum. The most notable means of transport here is via its airport.

What to See
The Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts in Hue – Vietnam is a museum that is dedicated to preserving the imperial heritage of Vietnam. Included in this venture is collecting various relics of the imperial past and also the many astounding pieces of art that grew out of that era.

Visitors to this museum will be treated to the lost splendor of the various imperial dynasties that molded the ancient days of the country. Some of the notable pieces in its collection include artifacts from the Nguyen Dynasty. The collections from this era date back as early as 1802

Other than the royal artifacts, visitors will find the place to have an atmospheric setting. Silk gowns, ceremonial weapons, and various inlaid furniture display the glory of what royalty held in their power back then.
History of the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts in Hue – Vietnam

This two-bay building was once called the Long An Palace before the French took over. It became the residence of French troops in 1885. The contents of the once beautiful palace were removed and were put back in place in 1909 by order of the emperor. It was also known as Khai Dinh Museum in 1923.

Cham Museum in Danang
The Cham Museum is located at the intersection of Trung Nu Vuong and Bach Dang streets in Danang. The Cham Museum was built in 1915 with the financial support of the French Far-East Research Institute in Vietnam. This museum houses the most extensive collection of Cham art worldwide. In the past, the capital of the Champa nation was located in Danang; other famous sites of the Champa civilization include Tra Kieu, Dong Duong, My Son, and Thap Man.

The Cham Museum was built in Cham architectural style, using thin lines that are simple and gentle. Cham architecture originates from the period between the 5th and 15th centuries, when a matriarchal society prevailed. At present, the museum displays approximately 300 sculptures, among which some are made from terracotta. The sculptures were collected from Cham temples and towers throughout Central Vietnam, more specifically the area stretching from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan. All the sculptures are displayed in ten showrooms named after the localities where the pieces have been discovered.

After viewing the pieces in the showrooms, there are exterior exhibitions that can be visited.

War Remnants Museum
Even though people always say that knowing about a country's history before visiting it is extremely, not everyone can do it. They are often held back by the lack of time, the lack of resources, etc. However, in a historical country like Vietnam where museums are ubiquitous, such situation is unlikely to happen. By visiting one of the most history museums, the War Remnants Museum, you have totally transformed your ordinary visit to Ho Chi Minh City to an intellectual yet remarkable trip.

The War Remnants Museum is located at 28 to Vo Van Tan, in District 3. Ho Chi Minh City. It houses many exhibits relating to Vietnam War, especially the American phase. Operated by the Vietnamese government, the museum was opened in September 1975. Since then, it has undergone many changes and renovations due to the process of moralization of relation between Vietnam and the United States.

Nowadays, the main purpose of the museum is to display the devastation of the war between two countries from 1961 to 1975. It comprises several buildings storing military equipment, as well as disturbing photographs about the traumatizing consequences of Agent Orange, napalm, and phosphorus bombs, etc. on Vietnamese people. There are also pictures about atrocities such as the Ma Lai massacre, a guillotine used by the South Vietnamese Government, and last but not least three jars of deformed human fetuses indicating the haunting effects of the war on the next generations

This article written by Lanh Nguyen from Vietnam Heritage Travel
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