#museum

Saigon

From WWI Monument to Ancestor Temple: The Story of Saigon's Hùng King Temple

The Hùng King Temple at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm was originally built in 1927–1929 under the name Temple du Souvenir Annamite (Annamite Temple of remembrance), primarily to honor the memory of Vietnamese soldiers who died while fighting in World War I.

Travel

Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum

When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.

Music & Arts

A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted

A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?

Environment

The Hunt for Vietnam's Dinosaurs Has Found Nothing Yet, but There Is Hope

Why aren’t there any Vietnamese dinosaurs?

In Plain Sight

Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments

“These instruments serve our everyday life, or even our spiritual life. For example, they mark the transitions of life. When a baby is born or a person passes away, people play these instruments to welcome or bid farewell to these moments. They also use music to pray for good weather, good business, and happiness for future generations,” Đức Dậu, a seasoned collector of Vietnamese traditional instruments, shares how these antique musical devices are more than just merely tools used for entertainment.

Travel

Art, Flowers Bloom at Huế’s Hidden Museum, Lebadang Memory Space

People often think that art is distant and difficult to appreciate, but a garden is different; everyone knows how to admire a flower.

Saigon

Did You Know That There's a Mummy on Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Boulevard?

Why is there a mummy on display in Saigon?