Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) Travel Guide

Museums & Galleries

If you only have time for one museum, head for the War Crimes Museum, which offers a bias yet graphic portrayal of the Vietnam War which is hard to find elsewhere. Meanwhile, the city’s history can be traced in the city’s handful of other museum, with some national artworks on offer at the city’s Art Museum and Duc Minh Gallery.

Art Museum: with a prominent military theme, the art here focuses on war and revolution, with many works featuring ‘Uncle Ho’. The interpretation of the works is sometimes refreshing, despite the subject of the art being somewhat repetitive. Worth viewing is the top floor’s collection of wooden Buddahs, while the fine panelled lacquer paintings are also exquisite.

Duc Minh Art Gallery: this relatively new gallery features friendly English-speaking staff that help to promote the range of artworks on sale here. With works exclusively by Vietnamese artists, the gallery explores works made in a range of styles, with prominent artists Le Duc Hai, Le Ngoc Thanh, Hoai Huong and Vu Thang displaying their works here.
31 C Le Quy Don st. Open: daily, 09:00 to 17:00.

History Museum: this slightly odd but intriguing collection of artefacts makes for an interesting visit. The museum covers Vietnam’s history from the Bronze Age to the colonial period, with highlights being the Champa sculpture hall and displays depicting the county’s resistance against foreign invaders. Situated nearby the City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the museum is worth a visit if you are in the part of the city.
Nguyen Binh Khiem. Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 08:00 to 11:30; 13:00 to 16:00.

While non-Vietnamese speaking museum-goers may not get as much out of this museum as native speakers, with all signs being posted in the nation’s official language, many of the displays can be enjoyed without explanation.
Nguyen Tat Thanh. Open: Tuesday to Thursday, 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 to 18:00.

War Crimes Museum: one of the city’s highlights is this thought-provoking museum, which explores the atrocities of the Vietnam War. While museum-goers may find many of the photographs and items on display difficult to view, with some very explicit scenes of war portrayed, the museum is very informative, despite being politically biased.