Vietnam History Museum is located
near the Municipal Theater and
Hoan Kiem Lake in downtown Hanoi.
The museum preserves a large number of
valuable artifacts from various
historical periods. The exhibits are
clearly displayed on two floors covering
an area of more than 2,000 m2. The first
section contains relics from prehistoric
times discovered at different sites
throughout the country. These items date
back mainly from the Paleolithic and the
Neolithic Ages.
Over the past 40-plus years the Museum
has served as one of the important
cultural and historical arms of the
Ministry of Culture and Information.
Through tens of thousands of selected
showpieces, which are displayed in a
chronological order, from ancient to
modern time, it systematically
introduces the visitors to the history
of national construction and defence of
the Vietnamese people. The space for
display is divided into tens parts. The
1st part displays relics from ancient
times to the bronze age, prior to the
period of national construction. Among
the relics are human teeth, fossil
animals, and stone tools and weapons,
such as axes and knives, which were
found in Do mountain in
Thanh Hoa Province and in Tham Hai
cave in
Lang Son Province. These relics date
from 30-40 thousand years ago, proving
that Vietnam is one of the cradles of
early humans. The 2nd part introduces
the initial period of national
construction and defence. On display are
many rare and precious exhibits, with
the most typical being the Bronze Drums
of Ngoc Lu, Hoang Ha, Mieu Mon and Co
Loa, which are called Dong Son Drums.
These drums, considered the most
beautiful and ancient (according to
He-go classification), were found in
greater numbers than in other Asian
countries. The 3rd part introduces the
first ten centuries B.C (from the 1st to
the 10th century).
Apart from the showpieces, which reflect
the Vietnamese people's struggle for
independence and self-control against
the northern forces' plot of
assimilation and enslavement, there are
collections of ceramic, porcelain and
woven cloth articles, which proves that
the Vietnamese people had acquired the
quintessence of other cultures to enrich
their own culture. The 4th part
introduces the process of building an
independent feudal system in the Dinh
(968-980) and anterior Le (980-1009)
dynasties. Typical showpieces include
vestiges of the ancient capital of Hoa
Lu, old cultural stele and majestic art
works. The 5th part introduces the
Ly-Tran dynasties (1010-1400). This is a
flourishing time of the civilization of
the Great Viet, and the renaissance of
the nation after more than one thousand
years of struggle against the domination
of the northern invaders.
The exhibits reflect some great battles
against the Song and Yuan aggressors.
The 6th and 7th parts introduce the Le -
Mac dynasty (1427-1788), a long period
of feudal history. Through the relics
and vestiges of the ancient capital of
Lam Kinh in Thanh Hoa Province, such as
seals, stamps, stele, selections of
ceramic wares and festival costumes,
visitors can see the military,
socio-economic and cultural achievements
of the Vietnamese people. The 8th part
introduces the Tay Son period
(1778-1802), especially national hero
Quang Trung - Nguyen Hue, who was the
most outstanding leader of the
insurrection by Tay Son peasants. The
movement of supporting the Le dynasty
and opposing the Trinh dynasty, and the
insurrection which wiped out the Qing
enemy in 1789, leading to national
liberation, are also introduced. The 9th
part introduces the Nguyen dynasty
(1802-1945), the last Vietnamese feudal
regime. There are a lot of exhibits on
the Nguyen kings and achievements in the
fields of law, literature and history,
which were influenced by the Occidental
culture. The last part introduces the
anti-French movement and the August
Revolution in 1945.
On display are photographs of patriotic
scholars, such as Phan Dinh Phung, Hoang
Hoa Tham and Nguyen Huu Huan. Worthy of
note are the photographs and showpieces,
which reflect the cause of Nguyen Ai
Quoc (President Ho Chi Minh) for
national salvation and a new state.
Among them is a photo of Ba Dinh Square
on September 2nd, 1945, where President
Ho Chi Minh read the Independence
Declaration, bringing about the birth of
the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In
addition, the Museum of History presents
50 stone-engraved specimens including
statues and bas-reliefs to introduce the
art and culture of the Cham Pa ethnic
group from the 7th to the 13th
centuries. The art and cultures of
several Asian countries including China,
Japan and Thailand are also introduced.
The Vietnam Museum of History is a
worthy national museum and a centre for
the introduction and research of the
history of Vietnam. Each year it
receives tens of thousands of visitors,
domestic and foreign. |
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