In the course of human history, women have always played an extremely important role, not only in building and preserving the family, but also directly participating in preserving and developing the traditional cultural values of the nation. Regardless of the era or country, women are always mothers, sisters, wives, companions, endless sources of inspiration, symbols of resilience, patience and kindness.
In Hanoi, the Vietnam Women's Museum is a special cultural site, a sacred space to honor and recognize the great contributions of Vietnamese women throughout history. The museum is not only a place to preserve valuable artifacts and documents, but also a vivid story about the journey of rising up, affirming the role and position of Vietnamese women in society.
Exhibition space honors Vietnamese beauty
The museum is located on one of the most beautiful streets in Hanoi - 36 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, where visitors come to learn about the role and importance of Vietnamese women in the flow of culture and history of the country. Currently, this museum in Hanoi is preserving valuable documents and content, displayed scientifically and impressively about the stories of women from all over the country, the profound contributions and silent sacrifices of Vietnamese women in the past, present and future.
The Vietnam Women's Museum is a place to preserve documents and display artifacts to honor the role and value of Vietnamese women.
In 1987, the Vietnam Women's Museum was established, under the Vietnam Women's Union. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dinh, former President of the Vietnam Women's Union, was the one who laid the foundation for the Museum's establishment. This project is considered a promise of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dinh to Vietnamese women. In 1991, the museum began construction. By 1995, it was officially inaugurated and opened to visitors.
In 2010, the museum was upgraded to a new look with a permanent exhibition system. The three themes running through the museum include: Women in the family, Women in history, and Women's fashion. In addition, there is a special topic on Mother Goddess worship, divided into four contents: Mother Goddess, Mind, Beauty, and Joy.
From 2015 to 2016, the Vietnam Women's Museum has made a strong mark on the cultural and tourism map, affirming its position as one of the most attractive destinations in Asia. One of the most memorable milestones was that the Vietnam Women's Museum was ranked in the top 25 most attractive museums in Asia by the famous travel website TripAdvisor. This is a testament to the museum's special appeal to domestic and foreign tourists, and at the same time affirms the quality of services and experiences that the museum brings.
Preserving the values of women past and present
The first floor of the Vietnamese Women's Museum is like a souvenir shop, where you can find a variety of museum-specific products such as postcards, bookmarks, along with many other materials including pictures, books, newspapers, and the museum's successful exhibitions.
Souvenir space with meticulously crafted handicrafts
Coming to the second floor of the museum is a special space where visitors can explore the life journey of Vietnamese women, from the first steps in marriage, through the sacred motherhood, to the important role of the wife in organizing and nurturing family life, regardless of their ethnicity. Precious traditional values are vividly recreated, through customs, traditional rituals, folk knowledge and experience in marriage.
In this space, we will explore the life stories of Vietnamese women.
From the first steps in marriage, fulfilling the role of motherhood to the important role as a wife who knows how to organize family life of many different ethnic groups
Entering this space, visitors will be able to admire the unique traditional wedding ceremonies of the Vietnamese ethnic groups, both in matriarchal and patriarchal societies. These ceremonies are recreated in a realistic and vivid way, through artistic photos and emotional slideshows. Visitors will have the opportunity to admire the sophisticated engagement gifts, gorgeous wedding costumes and meaningful wedding invitations, all of which are evidence of the richness and diversity of Vietnamese wedding culture.
Traditional values will be recreated through customs, rituals, knowledge and folk experiences in marriage.
Not only stopping at recreating rituals, the second floor of the museum also focuses on introducing daily objects associated with the lives of Vietnamese women from the past to the present. These objects are not only essential items, but also symbols of the important role of women in caring for and nurturing the family.
Daily objects associated with Vietnamese women are also displayed here.
Through the west door of the family space, you will enter the exhibition space honoring the mysterious and authentic Mother Goddess worship, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in need of preservation. The three main elements of the exhibition are "Pure Heart," "Beauty" and "Joy," all of which are traditional beauties.
The third floor of the Vietnam Women's Museum is a sacred and moving space, honoring the brave and resilient images of Vietnamese women in the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism. This is where stories of women who did not spare their blood and bones, sacrificing themselves to contribute to the resounding victory of the nation, and at the same time being a solid rear for the front line, a great source of spiritual encouragement for soldiers on the battlefield are preserved.
Image of heroic and brave Vietnamese women
Entering this space, visitors will admire the touching portraits of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, mothers who sacrificed their beloved children for the Fatherland. On the walls, posters and propaganda pictures about wars are displayed, recreating heroic historical moments of the nation. A special small corner is dedicated to introducing the image of Vietnamese women in modern times, dynamic and creative women, contributing to building an increasingly prosperous country.
Here, the museum displays many portraits of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers. On the walls, you will see many posters and propaganda pictures about the wars.
The exhibition space on the third floor not only introduces the role of generations of women in the war but also delves into every aspect of their daily lives during the resistance period. The touching stories of their lives, sacrifices and losses for national independence and unification are conveyed deeply, touching the hearts of every viewer.
Heroes of wartime
On the 4th floor of the museum, you can admire all the traditional costumes of 54 ethnic groups. Coming here, you will be impressed by the sophistication in makeup techniques, the art of weaving, the ingenuity in making silver jewelry and extremely sophisticated real teeth of ancient women. In particular, you can recognize whether a woman is married or not through the characteristics of her costume.
The museum creates many activities to connect generations.
Since its inauguration, the Vietnam Women's Museum has made constant efforts to improve and innovate its display and exhibition activities. The museum has organized many unique cultural events, introducing to domestic and foreign visitors valuable collections of artifacts and documents with profound historical and cultural values related to Vietnamese women. These activities not only help visitors better understand the history and culture of Vietnamese women, but also contribute to spreading the good values of Vietnamese culture to the world.
