Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - showcasing the culture of ethnic groups of Vietnam

On my recent visit to Hanoi I went to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. Here I explored the culture of 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam and South - East Asia countries as well.

The museum has both indoor and outdoor exhibits.

The inside exhibits are on two levels of the main building and were very interesting to look at. There were interesting photographs, displays and videos of different ethnic groups in Vietnam Nam and their practices. There were examples of traditional costumes and clothing, musical instruments, tools, folk art and items used in celebrations. Many beautiful cloths woven by the minorities and woven baskets were displayed.

Craft performances by artisans and performances of traditional arts are presented on a regular basis to showcase artisan traditions from around Vietnam. There is a discovery room with fun and educational activities such as traditional weaving, dying and block printing to introduce children to Vietnam's cultural diversity. 

On display outside in the grounds of the museum were full size actual houses, community halls farm buildings from various areas of the country. These illustrate the different styles of houses of the different ethnic groups. It was interesting seeing the different types of design and construction. I liked going inside each house and seeing how people lived in them. The explanations written in Vietnamese, French and English were nice as well.

The Tay house from Dinh Hoa district rests on very high stilts. It stands on wooden columns which are high enough to avoid wild animals. The materials to make the house are bamboo and more than 1,000 palm leaves to roof the house. The Tay house makers use neither nails nor steel to fasten to make a house.

The Ede longhouse is interesting to take you back many centuries. The Ede longhouse is made of bamboo, timber and straw roof and sits on a lot of big short pillars. There are 2 doors, the one in the front house is used for the man and guests while the back door is served for the woman. So it has 2 ladders for the 2 doors. It accommodates several generations of an Ede family. Whenever a girl marries the house is lengthened. The Bahnar Communal House is made of wood, bamboo, cane, and straw to cover the roof was. It has a very high sloping roof at a height of 40 feet.

A variety of rituals are depicted including weddings and funerals, such as the Red Hmong Burial rituals. There is depiction of sexual engagement on wooden carvings surrounding the tomb of the Giarai (Jarai) people of Gia Lai province. Together with other wooden figures like pregnant women, children and animal, they symbolize fertility and serve to accompany the dead into the afterlife.

There is a lovely large courtyard with a good restaurant for those feeling hungry serving snacks and coffee. There are museum souvenir shops at the front of the museum. One small shop is run by CraftLink, representing local artists. The second is a book shop that has book, publications and posters for sale that introduce the culture of many ethnic groups and the history of Vietnam. They also sell other small gifts. 

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a good place to learn about the history and culture of Vietnam. This is a well laid out and maintained museum inside and out. The displays are very well done and not to be missed by anyone when 

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Nguyen Van Huyen road, Cau Giay district, Nghia Do, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam

Phone: +84 24 3756 2193
Hours: 8.30 am - 5.30 pm. Closed on Mondays

Transport: travel by bus 7, 12, 13, 14, 39, 39 or 60, taxi or grab.