Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology was built on Nguyen Van Huyen Street in 1997, about 8 km from the center of Hanoi. The museum has become an attractive destination for domestic and foreign visitors due to the simple exhibits which displays both the aspects of tangible and intangible culture, lifestyle and creativity of Vietnamese ethnic groups.
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology was designed by Ha Duc Linh and Veronique Dollfus (French). The museum is divided into three main display areas: Bronze Drum area, outdoor display area and Southeast Asia exhibition area. Visitors will be attracted by the display, layout and content which are very scientific and logical and easy to find out about each ethnic group.
Museum of Ethnology
Bronze Drum area has two spaces, one is always renewed on the 2nd floor and the other introduces the identity of 54 ethnic groups in the 1st floor. There are 15,000 artifacts, 42,000 film and photos, describing daily life, costumes, clothing, farming tools and the customs and habits of ethnic minorities. The contents of artifacts here are mostly translated in 3 languages: Vietnamese, English and French for visitors to visit and explore the museum. Tourists will be amazed at the great artifacts carefully displayed here such as: clothes, tools and models of rituals, funerals, weddings, etc. Everything are displayed as a small corner of life and traditional culture of ancient ethnic people.
Traditional Clothes
Outdoor display area is in a large yard of Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. There are many unique architectures of the ethnic people such as: the stilt house of the Ede and Tay people, Pomu house of the H'mong people, etc. There is a rice pounder with the water of the Dao people also displayed in this area.
Outdoor display area
Then, the visitors can visit the Southeast Asia exhibition area in the museum. The design of this exhibition area looks like a kite which is a familiar image not only in Vietnam but also in the ASEAN region. Kite is a symbol of dreams, ambitions, and freedom. The Southeast Asian culture, Indonesian glass paintings, a glimpse of Asia and around the world are usually displayed in this area. In addition, there are many educational activities, halls, movie rooms, multimedia rooms which allow visitors to enjoy the cultural materials not only of Vietnam but also other ASEAN countries.
If you have chance to visit Hanoi, do not forget to take a look of Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. You can easy to reach it by bus, taxi or motorbike.
