The Southern Women’s Museum is a destination not to be missed in Saigon for tourists who love history. There are thousands of documents and artifacts on display to honor the beauty of Vietnamese women through the ages. Let’s join IDC Travel to learn about detailed exploration experiences through the article below.
General information of Southern Women’s Museum
Address: 200 – 202 Vo Thi Sau Street, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 7:30 – 11:30, 13:30 – 17:00 from Sunday to Thursday
Entrance fee: free
The Southern Women’s Museum is a famous tourist destination, visited by many tourists when coming to Saigon. The museum was built to honor Vietnamese women who have contributed to the development of the country, the cultural beauty, traditional values, and the struggle of Vietnamese women in general, and Southern women in particular, through the ages.
The museum has three floors and 10 galleries depicting historical figures, including a prominent exhibition highlighting the role of women in the revolution as politicians, diplomats, and state administrators. The museum’s artifacts are divided into 24 collections with various themes and materials, of which the most prominent are 6 rare collections. In addition, there is a museum library with more than 11,000 books about women. It is also a center for organizing educational activities, scientific seminars, and cultural exchanges.
> > > After exploring the Southern Women’s Museum, why not dive deeper into Ho Chi Minh City’s vibrant culture? Join our guided Ho Chi Minh City tours to uncover the city’s hidden gems and make the most of your visit!
The bronze statue in front of Southern Women’s Museum
History of Southern Women’s Museum
The Ho Chi Minh City Southern Women’s Museum was formerly the residence of Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Loan – General Director of the General Department of Police of the Republic of Vietnam. In 1984, it was used as the Traditional House of Southern Women. The museum was originally 200 square meters wide, divided into 6 rooms.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the unification of the two parts of the country, on April 29, 1985, the Ho Chi Minh City Southern Women’s Museum was inaugurated with a total area of over 5,000 square meters, including 6 exhibition rooms with different themes. The museum’s hall can accommodate up to 1,000 people and the storage system is 700 square meters wide. The purpose of the building is to foster patriotism and spread the traditional beauty of women of previous generations, especially the generations before the independence of Vietnam, in peacetime.
Currently, the Southern Women’s Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is a place to display about 31,360 different artifacts, of which 930 are on display and 30,430 are in storage. Along with nearly 15,000 documents and films on science, of which 2/3 are war-related and 1/3 are traditional cultural artifacts with a variety of materials.
> > > Dive into the rich history, culture, and art of Ho Chi Minh City through its must-visit museums. From wartime stories to traditional crafts, these top 10 museums offer a deeper look into Vietnam’s past and present, let’s explore more through our blog here.
What to see at Southern Women’s Museum
A huge system of artifacts and scientific documents
Up to now, the Southern Women’s Museum has managed nearly 45,000 scientific documents and artifacts. Of which, half are cultural artifacts including many different materials and more than half are artifacts of the Revolutionary War. Based on the materials or themes, these artifacts are divided into 24 collections, including 6 rare collections.
Inside the Southern Women’s Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, there are paintings and artifacts associated with the dedication of women during the Vietnam War, and there are 2 rooms describing the activities of women who influenced the revolution such as Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Vo Thi Sau, Nguyen Thi Dinh, … Most of the artifacts are preserved according to the instructions of the Department of Cultural Heritage according to each material with appropriate temperature, light, and humidity. Not only that, the library has more than 12,000 books on women and thousands of magazines, newspapers and magazines.
Paintings and artifacts describing the activities of women who influenced the Vietnam War
11 diverse exhibition topics
After expanding the area, the gallery introduces visitors to 27 topics, but only 11 fixed topics are permanently displayed such as Southern women’s traditions before the founding of the Communist Party, Uncle Ho with Southern women and Southern women with Uncle Ho, The formation and development of Vietnamese women’s organizations, Southern women after the reunification of the country, Southern women in politics, Southern women in the army,… The displayed topics are diverse in both form and content, suitable for the needs of the public, the development trend of the museum system in the country and the region.
Some main topics displayed at the museum
Unique collection of intangible cultural artifacts
The Southern Women’s Museum actively collects artifacts and documents about the contributions of Southern women in the fight against foreign invaders. Not only that, artifacts and documents related to the contributions of Southern women in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the nation are also sought and preserved by the museum. Notably, intangible cultural artifacts related to community cultural activities, festivals, beliefs, traditional craft villages, etc. are displayed here.
In addition, a collection of 65 Ao Dai items is also displayed on the first floor. As soon as you enter the room, on the left is a large brown board describing an overview of the changes of Ao Dai through historical changes in Vietnamese, English and French. Around the room are many Ao Dai displayed in chronological order. This arrangement makes it easy for you to compare and feel the refinement and transformation of Ao Dai through each historical period. Small details, from design and pattern to color and material, all show the changes and influences of time and culture on this costume.
The Ao Dai collection displayed on the first floor of the museum
3D Southern Women’s Museum
On the occasion of its 35th anniversary, the Vietnam Women’s Museum inaugurated a 3D exhibition room on the 2nd floor with an area of 400m2. The thematic exhibition room “Southern Women in the Two Resistance Wars against French Colonialism and American Imperialism” connects modernity and tradition when recounting heroic historical lessons in the most intuitive and vivid way.
Hologram projection equipment combined with virtual reality technology will project 3D images of artifacts floating in the air at many different angles without visitors needing to wear display support devices. This helps visitors easily interact, experience the 3D museum model, and observe artifacts on 3D projections at many different angles… This exhibition floor will bring you a new experience after visiting all the topics listed above.
The 3D exhibition room
Other famous attractions near the museum
It usually takes only one morning or afternoon to fully explore every corner of the museum. Therefore, after visiting here, visitors can combine visiting famous tourist destinations such as:
- War Remnants Museum: This place specializes in researching, collecting, preserving and displaying evidence of crimes and consequences of wars of aggression in Vietnam.
- Independence Palace: One of the iconic structures in Saigon built during the French colonial period. This structure has witnessed many heroic historical events of the nation, especially the event of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country on April 30, 1975.
- Notre Dame Cathedral: With a strong breath of ancient French architecture. With a spacious, airy space from inside the cathedral to the outside, visitors will admire the unique architecture and have extremely beautiful virtual check-in photos.
- Saigon Opera House: Stands out with its trendy European architectural style. Coming here, visitors can enjoy professional stage shows such as drama, music performances, reformed opera, ballet, etc.
Some nearby attractions you can visit after the museum
Some useful tips when visiting the museum
Here are some useful tips to make the most of your visit:
- The museum is closed at noon and some days of the week. Please find out before visiting to avoid long waiting times.
- Wear modest clothing and speak softly to avoid disturbing others. Do not touch the exhibits directly. Avoid placing your hands on the glass cases.
- You can take pictures in the museum, but avoid areas with no-show signs and do not use flash to avoid disturbing others and the exhibits.
- Some staff members may provide explanations, but the information is mainly in Vietnamese. You can hire a tour guide if you want to understand more about the history, construction time, and achievements of the Southern Women’s Museum, etc.
- The museum may have a small shop selling handmade crafts and textiles by Vietnamese women. Purchasing from here helps support local artisans.
It can be seen that the Southern Women’s Museum contains many valuable documents and artifacts, with profound educational significance about the patriotism of the nation, especially Vietnamese women. This is a place not to be missed for tourists who love and want to learn about national history. Hopefully, through the above article, you have more useful information about this place, thereby completing your plan for your upcoming trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
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