Vietnam Museum of Ethnology: Beyond a Museum

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology: Beyond a Museum

Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country composed of 54 ethnic groups. And in order to preserve such a diverse culture, the government established the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology with the specific mission to “collect, document, research, preserve and exhibit the cultural and historic patrimony of the nation's different ethnic groups.” The structure was constructed in 1987 and completed in 1997 with an area of 9,500 square meters.
The Ethnology Museum of Vietnam is considered to be one of the country's leading and outstanding museums. It boasts of 15,000 artifacts; 2,190 slides; 42,000 photographs; 237 audio tapes; 373 video tapes; and 25 CD-ROMs. It also has center for ethnographic research, successfully replicating the daily life, religious rituals and symbolic festivals of each ethnic group in Vietnam. A number of experts on the different ethnic groups in the country are employed at the center with this specific task.
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is composed of an indoor and outdoor display. The indoor collection is made up of both permanent and temporary exhibits. The permanent collection makes up the biggest part of the display area, divided into nine major sections:
  • Introduction
  • Introduction of the Viet group (Kinh)
  • Introduction of Muong, Tho, Chut ethnic groups
  • Tay, Thai and Ka Dai ethnic groups
  • H'Mong-Dao, Tang, San Diu and Ngai ethnic groups
  • Mon-Khmer ethnic group
  • Nam Dao ethnic group
  • Cham, Hoa, Khmer ethnic groups
  • Exchange and mingle among different ethnic groups
Each section includes objects showcased in glass cases and dioramas.
The virtual oudoor tour is an open-air exhibition located at the ground floor of the museum. It features the ethnic houses in Vietnam with the most popular architectural styles such as the following: Ede long house; Tay stilt house; Yao house half on stilts and half on earth; Hmong house with pomu wood roof; Viet house with tile roof; among others. Other traditional village houses are also showcased such as a Bahnar communal structure and a thatched-roof Giarai tomb coomplete with “earthy” wooden statues.
Aside from its rich cultural values, the outdoor display also has a breathtaking natural view of indigenous trees, winding streams and small bridges, making the entire museum a tourist site as well. All displays are well-labelled in Vietnamese, French and English languages. A fair-trade craft shop can also be found at the museum selling books, postcards, and arts and crafts from the ethnic communities which can be brought home as souvenirs.
Aside from Vietnam's already multi-faceted ethnicity, the museum also plans to feature the cultures and civilizations of other countries in South-East Asia in the future. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is located at Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay District, about 7-8 kilometers from the center of the city. It opens from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. every Tuesdays until Sundays. It's closed on Mondays and during the lunar Tet holiday.