Cycling through Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam By Bike, you will learn more about the differences between Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City. Stop at the Vietnam History Museum, which is recognized as the first museum in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh City History Museum is 90 years old, built by the French, with a blend of Asian and Western architecture. The History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (located on Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1) was constructed in 1929, originally named Blanchard de la Brosse after the Governor of Cochinchina at the time.
This is the first museum in Ho Chi Minh City and the whole of South Vietnam. In 1954, when the French withdrew, the museum was renamed the National Museum, and the current name was adopted after 1975. The museum area covers 6,000 m2, with the main view facing the Zoo and Botanical Garden, opposite the Hung King memorial temple.
The project was designed and built by French architect Delaval in a style that combines European and indigenous architecture, incorporating traditional elements and local climate characteristics. This architectural style flourished in Vietnam during the 1920-1945 period.
The architectural highlight is the octagonal floor block in the center, which is also the symmetry axis for the two rows of houses on both sides. The octagonal floor carries the concept of the eight trigrams in the I Ching:
- At the top of the octagonal floor are 4 small spheres gradually placed on top of each other. On each side of the tile block, there are dragon-stylized blades.
- The roof of the museum is tiled with pipe tiles and set back from the wall by the console beam system, showcasing a blend of Asian architecture and Western construction techniques.
In 1970, the museum built an additional U-shaped row behind, with a small lake in the middle. The extra houses are decorated with dragon heads in the corners, in harmony with the original architecture of the building.
The decorative architecture inside and outside the museum uses a variety of motifs and patterns, with a mix of traditional and Western influences. Inside the museum, there is an area of 3,000 m2, divided into several rooms with 18 display spaces, all connected to the main lobby at the central location.
This is one of the large-scale museums in the South, with more than 40,000 artifacts from many countries and ethnic groups. The museum's display system consists of two main parts: the first part showcases artifacts of Vietnamese history from prehistory to the end of the Nguyen Dynasty, and the remainder focuses on the cultural themes of southern Vietnam and some Asian countries.
The Champa cultural display area features many stone statues of deities, real-life war elephants, and artifacts from China, Cambodia, Japan, and Thailand. The Ho Chi Minh City History Museum is often included in tours to bring visitors to explore when they come to Ho Chi Minh City. The museum is open all week, with an admission fee of 30,000 VND per person.
