By aussiematesvietnam Vietnam Fine Arts Museum: A Journey Through Vietnamese Art
G’day, fellow travel enthusiasts! Aussie Mates here, bringing you another slice of Vietnam from my adopted home of nearly two decades. Today, I’m taking you on a walkabout through one of Hanoi’s true gems – the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. Tracy and I stumbled upon this cultural treasure during our early days in Vietnam, and it’s become a regular stop whenever we have visitors from back home in Oz.
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If you’re planning a trip to Vietnam and have even a passing interest in art or history, this place deserves a spot on your itinerary. Unlike those overwhelming European art museums where you need a week just to see half the collection, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum offers a more digestible but equally captivating experience that tells the story of this fascinating country through its artistic expression.
Finding Your Way There
The museum is dead easy to find, located at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District. It’s a short walk from the Temple of Literature (another must-see, by the way) and just a stone’s throw from the city center. Tracy and I usually recommend grabbing a Grab bike or taxi if you’re coming from the Old Quarter – it’ll set you back about 30,000-50,000 VND (roughly $2-3 AUD), or you could enjoy the 20-minute stroll if the weather’s behaving.
When we first visited back in the early 2000s, the museum was a bit of a hidden secret among travelers. These days it’s better known, but still nowhere near as crowded as spots like Ha Long Bay or Hoi An. You’ll have plenty of space to appreciate the artwork without feeling like you’re at Flinders Street Station during rush hour.
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A Bit of History and Architecture
The museum itself is housed in a gorgeous colonial-era building that was once the École Française d’Extrême-Orient. Built in 1937, the structure is a cracking example of Indochine architecture – a blend of French colonial and traditional Vietnamese styles that’s worth admiring before you even step inside.
Tracy always points out the yellow ochre exterior and the distinctive tiered roofline to our visitors. It’s a fair dinkum example of how Vietnam’s history of foreign influence manifested in its architectural landscape. The building spans two wings with a central courtyard, giving the place a sense of grandeur without being intimidating.
What’s Inside: A Chronological Journey
Once you’ve paid your modest entrance fee (around 40,000 VND or about $2.50 AUD), you’re in for a treat. The museum houses over 20,000 artifacts and artworks spanning from prehistoric times to the contemporary era. The collection is thoughtfully arranged in chronological order across three floors, making it dead easy to follow Vietnam’s artistic evolution.
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The ground floor typically showcases ancient art, including ceramics from the Dong Son culture (famous for those bronze drums) dating back to 1000 BC. There are also stunning sandstone sculptures from the Champa and Dai Viet kingdoms. I remember being gobsmacked by the intricate carvings on some of these pieces – craftsmanship that has stood the test of time for centuries.
Folk Art and Traditional Crafts
One section that Tracy and I particularly love features Vietnam’s folk art and traditional crafts. You’ll find everything from woodblock prints used during Tet celebrations to lacquerware that Vietnam has become renowned for.
The folk paintings from villages like Dong Ho are ripper examples of Vietnam’s cultural traditions. These colorful prints were created using natural materials like crushed shells for white pigment and diep leaves for green. They typically depict scenes of rural life, traditional stories, or symbols of prosperity like the iconic image of a chubby baby holding a carp.
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After nearly 20 years here, I’ve developed quite an appreciation for Vietnamese lacquerware. The museum displays some extraordinary examples, showing how artisans layer tree resin over and over, polishing between each application to create pieces with incredible depth and lustre. We’ve accumulated quite a collection in our home – each piece telling its own story.
Revolutionary and War-Time Art
Moving upstairs, you’ll find perhaps the most emotionally powerful section: art from Vietnam’s revolutionary period and the American War (what Aussies know as the Vietnam War). This collection provides a perspective you simply won’t get from history books or documentaries back home.
Artists during this tumultuous period often created works while literally in the trenches or hiding in underground tunnels. The raw emotion and patriotic fervor are palpable in these pieces. As an Aussie who grew up with our own country’s complicated involvement in this conflict, I find these galleries particularly moving and thought-provoking.
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There’s one painting that always stops me in my tracks – a simple watercolor showing a young woman militia member standing guard while her comrades sleep. The artist captured such determination in her expression that you can almost feel her resolve through the canvas. Tracy often reminds me that these were ordinary people fighting for their country’s independence – not unlike the ANZAC spirit we commemorate back home.
Contemporary Vietnamese Art
The top floor showcases how Vietnamese artists have embraced modern styles while maintaining connections to their cultural roots. Since economic reforms in the 1980s, Vietnamese contemporary art has absolutely exploded with creativity and international recognition.
You’ll see everything from bold abstract paintings to installations that blend traditional techniques with modern themes. What strikes me is how these artists grapple with rapid societal changes while honoring their heritage – something that resonates with many of us boomers who’ve witnessed dramatic cultural shifts in our own lifetimes.
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Practical Tips for Your Visit
- Allow about 2-3 hours to properly appreciate the collection
- Go early in the day to avoid school groups and tour buses
- The museum is closed on Mondays
- English descriptions are available but can be limited – consider hiring a guide
- Photography is permitted but without flash
- The gift shop has some fair dinkum souvenirs that aren’t your typical tourist tat
Tracy’s top tip: The lighting can be a bit dim in some sections, so if your eyesight isn’t what it used to be (join the club!), bring reading glasses for the information panels.
Wrapping Up: Why It’s Worth Your Time
After countless visits over our years in Vietnam, this museum remains one of our favorite recommendations for Australian friends and family visiting Hanoi. It provides a comprehensive overview of Vietnam’s artistic heritage and cultural evolution in just a few hours.
What makes it special is how it connects the dots between ancient traditions, colonial influences, war-time resilience, and contemporary innovation. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of Vietnam than you’d get from just visiting the usual tourist spots.
For us Aussie boomers who remember the nightly news reports from Vietnam in the 60s and 70s, this museum offers a chance to see the country through a different lens – one crafted by Vietnamese hands and expressing Vietnamese perspectives across the centuries.
So when you’re planning your Vietnam itinerary, don’t just pencil in the big-ticket attractions everyone talks about. Make some time for this cultural treasure. As Tracy and I always say to our visitors, “You haven’t really seen Vietnam until you’ve seen how Vietnamese people have seen themselves.”
Until next time, mates!
– Aussie Mates