Museum Of History

Situated at No.l Phạm Ngũ Lão Street, behind the Hà Nội Opera House, this museum was originally the museum of the école Française d’Extreme Orient, which was founded in 1932 by the French. At that time, the museum exhibited a collection of antiques collected throughout Southeast Asia.

In 1958, the French handed over this building to Việt Nam, and it became the National Museum of History. After many times of repair and up gradation, the museum has become an important cultural organ, a center for historical studies and exhibition of artifacts.

Museum Of History

Both floors of the museum are reserved for thou-sands of artifacts displayed in the order of antiquity. The Stone Age section contains stone tools and instruments for hunting and fighting, evidence of the presence of pre-historic people in Việt Nam. The stone hand axes chipped three to four hundred thousand years ago, which were unearthed at Đọ mountain in Thanh Hoá province, prove that Việt Nam is one of the ancient cradles of humans.

The Bronze Age section of the museum is famous for its bronze drums, the most notable of which is the majestic and beautiful Ngọc Lũ drum. Many studies have been made on its sculpture, use, and manufacturing technology, etc. Also on exhibit are bronze axes, javelin blades, daggers, spears, and other bronze weapons made during the Hùng Kings. The thin and thorny CỔ Loa bronze arrows displayed here used to frighten the northern invaders in the 2nd century BC so much that they were called magical arrows.

Over the past 2,000 years, Việt Nam has had a history of continuous struggle against foreign invaders. The museum’s many photographs of Việt Nam’s pagodas, temples, fortresses, grave sites, personages and famous generals, and many important documents, well known sayings, and original artifacts all attest to the indomitable spirit of the nation.

Visiting the Vietnam Museum of History, one can learn the history of national building and defence of the Vietnamese people.