The War Remnants Museum in Vietnam

by LauraSeptember 2, 2010 Vietnam

The War Remnants Museum exterior.

While in Ho Chi Minh City we visited the War Remnants Museum which focuses on the Vietnam War and the result of chemical warfare, specifically the use of a chemical called Agent Orange. I strongly recommend this museum. It only costs about $2 to enter. They have an impressive collection of tanks, planes, helicopters and artillery outside of the museum. Inside you will view unforgettable and disturbing photographs.

If you are American you might feel somewhat attacked while visiting this museum. It is important to remember who eyes and perspective the museum is told from and that in every war no one ever likes their enemy, (otherwise there probably wouldn’t be wars).

Airplane outside of the museum.

Tank and helicopter outside of the museum.

The museum is mostly photographs and write-ups. There are absolutely no interactive exhibits or videos. Nonetheless the subject matter captivates visitors. I have been to hundreds of museums and worked in a military museum for over two years and unless there was a special function it was NEVER as busy as this museum. Every museum wishes for a daily attendance like The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Nothing is complete without a little propaganda. The entire museum was very Anti-American.

More people on the second floor of the museum.

I found that by painting images of people next to the guns it didn’t let visitors look at them as “cool” objects. They are killing machines and that’s all there is to it.