Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - An attractive destination for culture lovers

Are you looking for a place to visit that has historical and cultural values, as well as a green, cool and friendly space? Join BDATrip to visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - where the unique beauty of 54 ethnic groups across the country is preserved and displayed.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology: An overview of Vietnamese culture

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a place to preserve and showcase the cultural beauty of ethnic groups in the country and abroad. The museum was established in 1987 and opened in 1997, with the aim of researching, collecting, preserving, restoring and introducing artifacts, documents related to ethnic groups; organizing exhibitions, performances and education on historical and cultural values of Vietnam; providing sources of information for social sciences; training human resources for museum anthropology.

The museum covers an area of 3.27 hectares, consisting of two main areas: indoor and outdoor exhibition areas. The indoor exhibition area includes two large buildings, the Bronze Drum and the Kite buildings, along with other functional rooms. The outdoor exhibition area includes the Garden of Architecture and the Garden of Ancient Trees, where the distinctive folk architecture of different ethnic groups is reproduced. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi is an interesting place for those who love culture, want to learn and discover more about the diversity and richness of Vietnamese ethnic groups. The museum is open every day (except Monday and Lunar New Year), opening hours of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. The entrance fee is 40,000 VND/person/visit. You can buy tickets directly or book online through the museum’s website or facebook.

History and construction process of Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a place to introduce and protect the cultural beauty of ethnic groups in the country and abroad. The museum was built on a large plot of land in the west of Hanoi, with the contribution of the French government, after being approved by the Vietnamese government in 1987. The museum was designed by architect Ha Duc Linh, a Tay person, with the idea of taking the bronze drum as a symbol. The interior was designed by architect Veronique Dollfus, a French person, with a harmonious combination of traditional and modern elements.

The museum was inaugurated on November 12, 1997, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. The museum has been operating and developing for more than 20 years, becoming one of the leading museums in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

The museum has a rich and diverse collection of ethnic culture, including about 30,000 artifacts, 42,000 photos, 237 videos and 373 audio tapes. The artifacts are classified according to topics such as: daily life, production, exchange, belief, art… The artifacts are displayed in two forms: permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The museum has a rich and diverse national cultural collection, including about 30,000 artifacts, 42,000 photos, 237 video tapes and 373 audio tapes. The artifacts are classified according to topics such as: daily life, production, exchange, beliefs, art... The museum has a total of 12 display areas, each display area introduces an aspect of culture. culture of a nation or ethnic group. In addition, cultural experience activities also regularly take place here such as: pottery making, weaving, making Dong Ho paintings, etc. These activities help visitors have the opportunity to experience Vietnamese culture authentically. most real.

In addition to cultural experience activities, visitors can also participate in other activities such as:

- Folk art performances: music and dance performances, cheo singing, quan ho singing,...

- Folk games: games such as: O Quan Quan, Great Grandchildren, Tug of War,...

Ethnic culture collections at Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Bronze Drum Building

The Bronze Drum Building is the central building of the Museum, with an area of 2,480 m2. The building has a unique architecture, inspired by the Dong Son bronze drum - a symbol of ancient Vietnamese culture. The building has two exhibition floors.

The first floor displays artifacts of the Viet-Muong ethnic groups, including three parts: the first part introduces the origin and distribution of the Viet-Muong ethnic groups; the second part introduces the economic, social and cultural activities of the Viet-Muong ethnic groups through historical periods; the third part introduces the distinctive features of folk art of the Viet-Muong ethnic groups.

The second floor displays artifacts of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, including four parts: the first part introduces the origin and distribution of ethnic minorities; the second part introduces the economic, social and cultural activities of ethnic minorities according to regions; the third part introduces the distinctive features of folk art of ethnic minorities; the fourth part introduces the exchange and integration of ethnic groups in the historical process.

Kite Building

The Kite Building is a subsidiary building of the Museum, with an area of 1,320 m2. The building has an architecture inspired by the kite - a traditional toy culture of ethnic groups in Vietnam. The building has only one exhibition floor.

The exhibition floor of the Kite Building is where thematic and temporary exhibitions on ethnic groups in and outside the country take place. The exhibitions are often changed according to different topics, such as: culinary culture, folk culture, religious culture, costume culture, jewelry culture, children’s toy culture… The exhibitions not only introduce artifacts but also have interactive, experiential and performance activities for visitors.

Garden of Architecture

The Garden of Architecture is an outdoor exhibition area of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, with an area of 20,000 m2. The Garden of Architecture reproduces houses, villages, worship structures and gardens of ethnic groups. Currently, the Garden of Architecture has 10 houses of ethnic groups: Ede, Gia Rai, Tay, Dao, Thai, Muong, Ede, Cham, Kho Mu and Cong.

The Garden of Architecture is a place for visitors to experience and learn about the daily life of ethnic minorities. The houses are built in a traditional style, with materials and construction techniques of each ethnic group. The houses are also decorated with household items, costumes, jewelry, children’s toys… of each ethnic group. The houses are also places to organize cultural activities such as: festivals, weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations… of each ethnic group.

The Garden of Architecture is also a place for visitors to enjoy special dishes and wines of Vietnamese ethnic groups. The dishes and wines are prepared according to traditional recipes and methods of each ethnic groups in Vietnam. The dishes and wines not only have a special taste but also carry cultural meanings of each ethnic group.

The Garden of Architecture is also a place for visitors to listen and watch artistic performances of ethnic groups. The artistic performances include: singing, dancing, musical instruments, drama… of each ethnic group. The artistic performances are not only expressions of creativity and talent of ethnic groups but also reflections of exchange and integration among ethnic groups.

Some tips for visiting Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi

To have an interesting and effective visit to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi, you can refer to some of the following experiences:

- Plan ahead of time and the topic you want to visit. You can see detailed information about the exhibition areas and exhibitions on the website or facebook of the museum. You can also see maps and guides on the signs in the museum.

- Bring a camera to capture the beautiful moments in the museum. However, you are not allowed to take pictures with flash or take pictures in the exhibition areas with signs prohibiting. You are also not allowed to touch the artifacts or affect the quietness of the museum.

- Bring headphones to listen to recordings of voices, music and folk songs of ethnic groups. You can also rent a portable audio device to listen to information about artifacts. You can also participate in experiential and learning activities about ethnic culture organized by the museum.

- Choose comfortable, polite, discreet clothing when visiting.

- It is best to visit the museum on days with few visitors, such as: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. You should also avoid visiting on days with big events, such as: International Women’s Day, International Children’s Day, International Day of Ethnic Minorities… to avoid crowded and noisy.

In addition, visitors can also refer to some tourist attractions near the museum such as: Bat Trang pottery village, Van Phuc silk village,...To better understand the values that the museum brings, you should choose reputable units that provide Hanoi tours like BDATrip for a great trip.

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a must-see destination in Hanoi. Hope that the sharing in this article will help you have interesting and useful experiences when participating in the activities of the museum.