War Remnants Museum, Saigon/HoChiMinh City (must see)
The War Remnants Museum is currently one of the most popular museums in Vietnam, attracting approximately half a million visitors every year. According to the museum's own estimates, about two-thirds of these are foreigners.
The museum comprises a series of themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment placed within a walled yard. The military equipment includes a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter, an F-5A fighter, a BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" bomb, M48 Patton tank, an A-1 Skyraider attack bomber, and an A-37 Dragonfly attack bomber. There are a number of pieces of unexploded ordnance stored in the corner of the yard, with their charges and/or fuses removed.
One building reproduces the "tiger cages" in which the South Vietnamese government kept political prisoners. Other exhibits include graphic photography, accompanied by a short text in English, Vietnamese and Japanese, covering the effects of Agent Orange and other chemical defoliant sprays, the use of napalm and phosphorus bombs, and war atrocities such as the My Lai massacre.
The photographic display includes work by Vietnam War photojournalist Bunyo Ishikawa that he donated to the museum in 1998. Curiosities include a guillotine used by the French and South Vietnamese to execute prisoners (the last time being in 1960) and three jars of preserved human fetuses allegedly deformed by exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds, contained in the defoliant Agent Orange.
Why You Should Visit:
To gain extensive insight into the warfare history of the American War from the Vietnamese perspective.
Tip:
Start from the top floor and work your way down 鈥� it makes more sense. Begin with Hall 2, only then move to Hall 1. Budget a minimum of 2 hours for this activity (more if you like to spend time reading). If you're American, expect to read a lot of anti-American sentiment in the exhibition.
The museum comprises a series of themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment placed within a walled yard. The military equipment includes a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter, an F-5A fighter, a BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" bomb, M48 Patton tank, an A-1 Skyraider attack bomber, and an A-37 Dragonfly attack bomber. There are a number of pieces of unexploded ordnance stored in the corner of the yard, with their charges and/or fuses removed.
One building reproduces the "tiger cages" in which the South Vietnamese government kept political prisoners. Other exhibits include graphic photography, accompanied by a short text in English, Vietnamese and Japanese, covering the effects of Agent Orange and other chemical defoliant sprays, the use of napalm and phosphorus bombs, and war atrocities such as the My Lai massacre.
The photographic display includes work by Vietnam War photojournalist Bunyo Ishikawa that he donated to the museum in 1998. Curiosities include a guillotine used by the French and South Vietnamese to execute prisoners (the last time being in 1960) and three jars of preserved human fetuses allegedly deformed by exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds, contained in the defoliant Agent Orange.
Why You Should Visit:
To gain extensive insight into the warfare history of the American War from the Vietnamese perspective.
Tip:
Start from the top floor and work your way down 鈥� it makes more sense. Begin with Hall 2, only then move to Hall 1. Budget a minimum of 2 hours for this activity (more if you like to spend time reading). If you're American, expect to read a lot of anti-American sentiment in the exhibition.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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War Remnants Museum on Map
Sight Name: War Remnants Museum
Sight Location: Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam (See walking tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam (See walking tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam
Create Your Own Walk in Saigon/HoChiMinh City
Creating your own self-guided walk in Saigon/HoChiMinh City is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Religious Sites
For centuries, Vietnamese people have practiced Confucianism and Buddhism brought over from neighboring China. Added to these Eastern teachings, in the 16th century, was Christianity 鈥� introduced to Vietnam by Western missionaries. The result of this variety of faiths has become a mixture of gorgeous Confucian and Buddhist temples and Catholic churches in Ho Chi Minh City. Some of these... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
Chinatown Walking Tour
The relationship between Vietnam and China traces back over 2,000 years. Over this time, Vietnamese culture, customs, administrative system, and even the language have been heavily influenced by the great northern neighbor. So much so, in fact, that although Vietnam had its own spoken language, until the late 1800s its official written language was Chinese.
Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City,... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City,... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Saigon/HoChiMinh City Introduction Walking Tour
While many still refer to the city as Saigon, it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in 1976 after the reunification of North and South Vietnam. The name honors the first leader of communist North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. But many still call the inner business district Saigon, while the larger metropolitan area is known as HCMC.
For most of its early history, this was a scarcely populated area... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
For most of its early history, this was a scarcely populated area... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Shopping Tour
Among other accolades, Ho Chi Minh City is known as a great shopping destination. Attesting to its reputation are a plethora of street markets scattered throughout the city, selling all sorts of fresh local produce, including coffee beans, and other delights, not to mention street food and souvenirs 鈥� all at extremely competitive prices. There are also designated markets specialized in niche... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles