Quiet footsteps, pensive eyes, soft sighs… are the common feelings of most visitors when visiting this place these days.
Located at 28 Vo Van Tan, District 3, the War Remnants Museum is one of the city's special attractions, put into operation in 1975, just a few months after the country's reunification. After many name changes and upgrades, the museum has now become the largest war memory space in the country, attracting millions of visitors each year - both domestic and foreign.
A corner of the War Remnants Museum in April, amidst the Saigon sunshine
In an area of over 5,000 square meters, the exhibition rooms are arranged according to many themes: "The world supports Vietnam's resistance against the US", "War crimes of aggression", "Agent Orange crimes in the Vietnam War", "Historical truths"... Black and white photos, bomb fragments, torn shirts, old tanks... each artifact is a part of painful but resilient memories. Perhaps, nowhere else can people feel so deeply the losses of war - and the sacred value of peace.
Vivid artifacts at the Museum
Doan Nhat, a university student in Da Nang, who visited the museum for the first time, shared: "I used to study history through books, but today, when I saw the vivid evidence with my own eyes, I truly felt the loss and pain that war left behind. Each photo seemed to tell a story, bringing me back to the years of bombs and bullets that were full of pain but also full of pride for the nation."
The first time visiting the War Remnants Museum was a memorable experience for Doan Nhat.
Not only domestic visitors, international visitors also come to the museum as a way to learn more about Vietnamese history - a part of world history. In the crowd of visitors on an April afternoon, Mr. David Miller, a tourist from England, stood for a long time at the area displaying Agent Orange. "I knew about the Vietnam War through books, but when I came here and saw the images of deformed children, I truly understood that war does not end when the guns stop. It leaves wounds that last for many generations," he said emotionally.
The exhibition space "Consequences of Agent Orange" leaves behind silent hauntings
Since the beginning of April, the number of visitors to the War Remnants Museum has been increasing continuously. According to the unit's representative, the museum welcomes an average of 5,000 visitors per day, and on peak days it can reach 9,000, most of whom are foreign tourists. This year's April 30 holiday, the peak is expected to fall between April 27 and 30. To meet the needs of visitors, the museum has proactively added tour guides, increased English explanations, and coordinated entrances to ensure a convenient experience for visitors.
The War Remnants Museum currently preserves more than 20,000 valuable documents, artifacts and films.
Many foreign tourists said they learned about the War Remnants Museum through viral videos on TikTok, Instagram or podcasts, where young Vietnamese people share about peace and the spirit of the historic April. These images urged them to choose the museum as an indispensable stop on their journey to explore Ho Chi Minh City. Here, in addition to visiting the exhibition spaces, they also have the opportunity to listen directly to real stories from groups of veterans.
Tourists attentively listen to historical stories through old photo frames.
Established in 1975, the War Remnants Museum currently preserves more than 20,000 valuable documents, artifacts and films. The space is divided into the ground floor and two floors, respectively introducing topics on war crimes, the consequences of Agent Orange and historical truth. Outdoors is the area recreating the "Prison Regime", featuring a model of the "tiger cage" in Con Dao prison - a place once known as "hell on earth" during the resistance years.
War Remnants Museum – a reminder of the sacred value of peace today
According to travel agencies, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, the demand for learning about history through experiential tours is increasing sharply. Many international tourist groups choose to visit the War Remnants Museum and the Independence Palace - two historical buildings located in the city center, easily connecting the journey to explore Ho Chi Minh City.
