Museums in Saigon
Saigon's many museums are headlined by the War Remnants museum, one of the world's most fascinating military museums, and a must for any visitor to Saigon.
War Remnants Museum |
Reunification Palace |
Museum of Vietnamese History |
Fine Arts Museum
War Remnants Museum [top]
28 Vo Van Tan Street. Tel: (08) 930-6325. Open daily, 7:30 - 12 pm, 1:30 - 5 pm.
GPS: N10°46.751' E106°41.557'
The War Remnants Museum certainly has to rank among the world's finest war museums, and is a must for any traveler wishing to understand the recent history of Vietnam.
It is not simply a museum of materiel and regalia, but goes beyond to detail the effects of the war on the people of Vietnam.
What surprises many visitors is the fact that - where possible - its exhibits take a measured and conciliatory approach that most travelers from the U.S. will find relatively unbiased.
While the United States lost 58,000 soldiers, Vietnam lost nearly 3 million, with another 4 million injured.
As the museum points out, "... it [the museum's displays] is not for inciting hatred, but just for learning lessons from history..."
To us, among many important displays, the most moving is the room dedicated to the reporters and photographers from both sides that were killed covering the war.
Examples of their work are exhibited, as are their photographs.
The grim stuff is here too: reproductions of tiger cages, the guillotine used by southern forces, an exhibit on the terrible legacy of Agent Orange.
Reunification Palace (also Independence Palace, Unification Palace) [top]
135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street. Tel: (08) 969-3272. Open 7:30 - 11 am, 1 - 4 pm.
GPS: N10°46.662' E106°41.794'
No matter what you call it, the 15,000 VND ($1 USD) it takes to see the last refuge of the South Vietnamese government is well worth it.
Here, you can visit the ruling family's living quarters, the below-ground control center, and the helipad, essential for quick getaways.
Museum of Vietnamese History [top]
2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street. Tel: (08) 298-146.
Open Monday through Saturday 8 - 11 am, 1:30 - 4 pm; Sunday/Holiday from 8:30 am - 4 pm.
GPS: N10°47.155' E106°42.297'
We're plum embarrassed that we nearly missed this fine museum, getting there only 15 minutes before closing.
We were enchanted by the beauty of the building, the elegance of the exhibits, and the nice demeanor of the staff, who seemed more like fellow enthusiasts than guards.
The museum's strength, we, believe, is in the sculpture of the past, but we also enjoyed the story of Vietnam's fight for independence over millennia, as told by the museum-supplied text as well as the artifacts themselves.
Take our advice, and bump this one to near the top of your list.
Fine Arts Museum [top]
97A Pho Duc Chinh Street. Tel: 08) 829-4441. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 am to 4:45 pm.
GPS: N10°46.200' E106°41.966'
Not a great museum, by even SE Asian standards, but some nice Cham sculptures are on the third floor, and the building itself is a nice example of colonial architecture.
Also, you'll find some galleries here selling art, including the very good Lac Hong Gallery.
