By aussiematesvietnam Vietnamese Museum of Traditional Medicine: Healing Practices of the Past
G’day mates! Aussie Mates here, bringing you another slice of Vietnamese culture that most tourists completely miss. Tracy and I recently stumbled upon what might be one of Saigon’s best-kept secrets – the Vietnamese Museum of Traditional Medicine (FITO Museum). After nearly two decades of calling Vietnam home, we’re still discovering hidden gems, and this beauty deserves your attention when you’re in Ho Chi Minh City.
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If you’re anything like me, the words “traditional medicine” might conjure images of mysterious herbs and ancient remedies. Let me tell you, this place delivered all that and more – a fascinating journey through Vietnam’s 4,000-year healing tradition that had Tracy and me completely captivated for hours.
A Living Museum in the Heart of Saigon
Tucked away in District 10, about a 20-minute drive from the usual tourist haunts, the FITO Museum isn’t on most visitors’ radar. When our taxi dropped us off at this beautiful wooden building, I initially thought we might have come to the wrong address – it looks more like a traditional home than a museum.
Built in 2006, the museum spans five floors and houses over 3,000 items related to traditional Vietnamese medicine. The owner, Mr. Le Khac Tam, spent over 20 years collecting these artifacts from across Vietnam, creating what’s essentially a love letter to the country’s healing traditions.
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The entire building is constructed using traditional Vietnamese methods – all wooden beams and intricate carvings that had Tracy snapping photos non-stop. As someone who’s developed a bit of a dodgy back over the years (too many cricket matches in my youth!), I was grateful for the lift that takes visitors between floors.
Four Thousand Years of Healing Wisdom
Walking through the museum is like stepping back in time. Vietnam’s traditional medicine has its roots in ancient practices dating back to the 2nd century BCE, with heavy influences from Chinese medicine but distinctly adapted to use local Vietnamese plants and methodologies.
The museum does a ripper job explaining how traditional Vietnamese medicine views the human body as a microcosm of the universe, with health depending on the balance of âm (yin) and dương (yang). Tracy, who’s always been into natural remedies, was fascinated by how many of these ancient practices are still used in modern Vietnam.
One display that particularly caught my eye showed the “Southern Medicine” traditions that developed in the Mekong Delta, using tropical plants that don’t grow in the cooler north. After 20 years in Vietnam, I recognized many of these plants from our local markets.
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The Art and Tools of Traditional Medicine
If you’re expecting a dry, academic museum, think again. The displays of ancient medical tools and equipment are fascinating. There’s everything from acupuncture needles to stone mortars and pestles that have been used for centuries.
One entire room is dedicated to the preparation of medicines, with gorgeous antique cabinets containing hundreds of small drawers for storing different herbs. Tracy joked that our kitchen cupboards at home look similar with all the spices we’ve collected over the years, though admittedly less organized!
The museum houses an impressive collection of old medicine books and manuscripts, some dating back to the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). Although most are in Vietnamese or Chinese, the illustrations alone are worth studying – detailed drawings of plants, acupuncture points, and treatment methods.
Live Demonstrations and Interactive Elements
What really sets this museum apart is the hands-on experience. During our visit, we watched a demonstration of traditional medicine preparation using a massive stone mortar and pestle. The young bloke doing the demonstration invited me to have a go, and let me tell you, grinding those herbs is harder work than it looks! Got a good laugh from Tracy as I worked up a sweat trying to crush some ginger root.
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There’s also a small cinema showing a documentary about traditional Vietnamese medicine. It’s in English and gives a great overview if you’re new to the subject. Perfect timing for us as we needed to rest our feet about halfway through our visit.
The Pharmacy and Gift Shop Experience
At the end of the tour, you’ll find yourself in a traditional pharmacy where you can purchase various herbal remedies. Tracy picked up some tiger balm-like ointment for my aforementioned dodgy back, and I must say, it’s been doing the trick!
The gift shop also sells tea sets, spices, and beautifully packaged herbal medicines that make great souvenirs. Much better than the usual touristy trinkets, if you ask me. We bought some herbal tea that’s supposed to help with sleep – perfect for when we get back to Brisbane and face the inevitable jet lag.
Practical Tips for Your Visit
- The museum is open daily from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
- Entrance fee is about 120,000 VND (approximately $8 AUD) – a bargain for what you get
- Guided tours in English are available and highly recommended
- Allow at least 1-2 hours to properly explore all five floors
- The museum can be reached by taxi from District 1 in about 20 minutes, depending on traffic
- Combine your visit with nearby HCMC Medicine Museum for a full day of medical history
Our Personal Take
After nearly two decades in Vietnam, Tracy and I thought we’d seen it all, but the FITO Museum genuinely surprised us. It’s fascinating how many of these traditional practices are still part of everyday life here. Even our Vietnamese neighbors regularly use herbal remedies alongside modern medicine.
What I found most interesting was learning how Vietnamese people don’t necessarily see traditional and Western medicine as opposing forces – they’re complementary approaches used together. It’s a pragmatic outlook that perhaps we could learn from back home.
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Final Thoughts
If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City and looking to escape the usual tourist circuit, the FITO Museum offers a unique glimpse into an essential aspect of Vietnamese culture. It’s educational without being boring, visually stunning, and gives you insight into healing traditions that have sustained this culture for millennia.
As Tracy said while we were leaving, “This is why we travel – to learn something new and challenge our assumptions.” Twenty years in, and Vietnam is still teaching us something new every day.
Have you visited any traditional medicine museums or tried traditional remedies in your travels? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear about your experiences!
Until next time,
Aussie Mates