National Museum of Vietnamese History

The National Museum of Vietnamese History is a history museum in the Hoàn Kiếm district of Hanoi, displaying over 20,000 historical objects across two floors. The building combines French colonial architecture with traditional Vietnamese elements and houses collections spanning from prehistoric times to the modern era.

The museum was founded in 1932 as the Louis Finot Museum and served during the French colonial period to present archaeological finds from Indochina. After Vietnamese independence, the institution was renamed in 1958 and has since focused on presenting the national history of the country.

The exhibition halls display bronze drums from the Dong Son civilization, dating from around 700 BC to 100 AD, regarded as an important symbol of early Vietnamese culture. The collection also features stone sculptures from the Champa kingdoms and objects from several Vietnamese dynasties, offering insight into different periods of the country's past.

The museum opens daily from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 17:00, with entrance fees of 40,000 dong for adults and 10,000 dong for children. The exhibitions are spread across two floors, and visitors should allow around one and a half to two hours for a full tour.

In special discovery rooms, visitors can try on traditional Vietnamese costumes and experiment with traditional crafts such as calligraphy or lacquer painting. These interactive offerings allow guests to experience cultural practices from different historical periods firsthand, rather than simply observing them.

Location: Hoàn Kiếm

Inception: September 3, 1958

Architects: Ernest Hébrard

Official opening: 1958

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 08:00-12:00, 13:30-17:00

Website: http://baotanglichsu.vn/index.aspx?lang=en

GPS coordinates: 21.02472,105.85972

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28