ASEAN Art Journey Viet Nam — 5 Museums and Galleries That Capture Vietnamese Culture and History

ASEAN Art Journey - Vietnam — 5 Museums & Galleries That Bring Vietnamese Culture and History Into View

Relics of ancient kingdoms, the legacy of French rule, the abundance of nature, and the energy of sprawling cities. Viet Nam brings all of these into harmony, a country of constant change that never forgets its history. As it strides toward the future on the foundation of a turbulent past, art in Viet Nam has offered people solace and breathed new inspiration into their lives. Visit the country’s major museums and galleries in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, and experience the artistry that is uniquely Vietnamese.

Words Pitch by Pitch
In collaboration with ASEAN-Korea Centre

Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

Located in the heart of Hanoi, the National Fine Arts Museum is a place to experience Vietnamese artistry in vivid form. Converted from a government office building constructed under French rule in the 1930s, it officially opened as a museum in 1966, and its distinctive facade, touched with traditional Vietnamese architectural elements, catches the eye at once. Several expansions since its opening have solidified its standing as the national museum. Its exhibition space, spread over three floors in two wings, and its collection of about 20,000 works make it the largest art museum in Viet Nam. The collection includes nine national treasures. Thanks to continuous research and acquisition efforts backed by the government, the museum is now recognized as an international-level institution. Exhibits spanning many eras and backgrounds, from relics of the ancient Champa Kingdom to Bronze Age objects, ceramics, woodcraft, artifacts of the Tay Son dynasty, and modern and contemporary paintings, offer a systematic introduction to Vietnamese history and artistry. The museum also runs educational programs for visitors, including workshops and lectures. Close to Hanoi’s major historic sites, the Temple of Literature and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, it makes it easy to take in Vietnamese culture and history together.

Opened: 1966

Hours: 8:30–17:00

Admission: 40,000 dong

Address: 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi Song Hong

Website:    vnfam.vn/vi

Hanoi Museum
Hanoi Museum

The Hanoi Museum is a national museum that opened in 2010 to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long (the old name of Hanoi) being designated the capital. Its modern design, by a German architecture firm, was inspired by Hanoi’s One Pillar Pagoda. In 2016, Business Insider named it one of the “36 most beautiful museums in the world.” The building has two basement levels and four above ground, and its inverted-pyramid structure widens toward the top, giving the impression of floating above the landscape. The first through third floors serve as exhibition halls, while the fourth floor houses exhibition space along with research rooms, offices, and a library. The museum’s collection numbers more than 70,000 items, displayed under seven themes. The holdings are remarkably diverse: Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age artifacts, ceramics and woodcraft, relics from Viet Nam’s major dynasties, art brought from China and Japan, and even weapons once used at Vietnamese military academies. Special exhibitions are also held in the gardens surrounding the museum.

Opened:  October 2010

Hours:  8:00–11:30, 13:30–17:00 (closed Mondays and Fridays)

Admission: Free

Address: During Pham Hung, Phuring, Me Tri, Nam Tu Liem, Ha Noi

Website:    baotanghanoi.com.vn

Museum of Cham Sculpture
Museum of Cham Sculpture

Home to the largest collection of Champa art in the world, the Museum of Cham Sculpture is an important place for understanding not only the history of central Viet Nam but also the country’s multicultural traditions. The Champa Kingdom, founded by the Malayic Cham people, held power in central Viet Nam from around the 2nd century BCE until the 19th century, leaving many ruins across the region, including Da Nang, where the museum now stands. During French rule, plans to build a museum to preserve the Champa legacy moved forward in earnest under the leadership of the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO). Some of the artifacts excavated at the time were scattered among museums in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Paris, but the most precious and meaningful pieces are held at the Museum of Cham Sculpture. The museum building, completed in 1915, was also built in the traditional Cham architectural style, and it displays more than 300 artifacts collected over some 20 years. In a total of 10 exhibition rooms, organized by the region where each artifact was found, visitors can see a rich variety of sculpture: statues of Hindu gods such as Shiva and Vishnu, Buddha images and carvings influenced by Buddhist art, and ornaments found at Champa towers and temples.

Opened: 1919

Hours: 7:00–17:00

Admission: 60,000 dong

Address: No.02, 2 Thang 9 Street, Binh Hien ward, Hai Chau district, Da Nang

Bat Trang Pottery Museum
Bat Trang Pottery Museum

About 15 kilometers southeast of Hanoi, the village of Bat Trang is a storied pottery village with a history of more than 700 years. The Bat Trang Pottery Museum was established to preserve the traditional skills of the area’s artisans and to promote Vietnamese ceramic art, and it opened in 2021 after about three years of construction. With a total floor area of 3,000 square meters, the museum immediately captures the eye with its earth-toned facade, whose graceful curves recall a giant potter’s wheel. The building is highly regarded for reinterpreting the village’s heritage in a modern way, using the materials of pottery itself, including clay bricks and ceramics set into concrete panels. Its function goes beyond simply preserving and introducing the village’s traditions. Along with exhibitions on the village’s history and its works, it has a shop selling artisans’ pieces and food and beverage spaces, and with an open space for events and festivals and a rooftop terrace, it also serves as a retreat for the village community and a multipurpose cultural space.

Opened: June 2021

Hours: 8:00–18:00

Admission: 50,000 dong

Address:  Hamlet 2 Bat Trang, Bat Trang Village, Bat Trang Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi

Website:    tinhhoalangnghe.vn

Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

The Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum occupies a beautiful building from the French colonial era. Completed in 1934, it was originally a Chinese-owned mansion designed by a French architect. Art Deco and neoclassical styles meet tiles that alternate in a yin-yang (陰陽) pattern and a red roof, so European and Asian architectural traditions blend in harmony. Rooms and balconies line the corridors, an ornate spiral staircase winds through the center, and a small courtyard sits behind the building, giving the interior an elegant air throughout. In 1987, the building, then used by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, was renovated, and it officially opened as the city’s fine arts museum in May 1989. Its three buildings are filled with works that span the ages, from the art of the ancient Champa Kingdom to paintings by leading figures of modern Vietnamese art. Building 1 presents contemporary art by Vietnamese and international artists, while Building 2 hosts special exhibitions featuring artists from Viet Nam and abroad. Building 3 displays a large collection of ancient artifacts in ceramic, bronze, wood, and stone.

Year Opened: May 1989

Hours: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Admission: 30,000 dong

Address:  97A Pho Duc Chinh, P. Nguyen Thai Binh, Quan 1, Ho Chi Minh

Website:    baotangmythuattphcm.com.vn