Ho Chi Minh City Museum Of Fine Arts

Unclaimed

Pretty big and beautiful museum in the centre of HCM. Most of the visitors seems to be young woman extremely busy with their own selfies and TikTok dances instead of playing attention to the interesting artworks. Seems very shallow, but maybe it’s a generational thing. Anyhow, the museum is great for pictures, not only because of the paintings but because of the wonderful building itself. It’s really big and I loved exploring all the halls and corridors. On the 3th floor of the first building are expositions of important art woman of Vietnam. On the 2nd is modern and contemporary art highlighted. On the 1st are contemporary, special exhibitions and artshop. And there are more buildings on the site, so plenty to see!

The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts is a hidden gem in the heart of Saigon. Housed in a beautiful French colonial building, the museum offers a peaceful escape from the city’s hustle and bustle.  Pros: • The architecture is stunning, with a blend of French and Chinese influences. • The museum houses a diverse collection of over 20,000 artworks, including ancient Champa sculptures, lacquer paintings, and contemporary pieces. • The layout is spacious, allowing for a leisurely exploration of the exhibits. • The entrance fee is very affordable, making it accessible to all. Cons: • Some areas of the museum lack air conditioning, which can make the visit uncomfortable during hot days. • Not all exhibits have English descriptions, which might be challenging for non-Vietnamese speakers.  Overall, it’s a must-visit for art enthusiasts and those interested in Vietnamese culture. The museum provides a unique insight into the country’s artistic heritage and is a great place to spend a few hours.

The architecture alone is worth a visit. The artworks, as is typical of Vietnamese art, are rather solemn and predominantly watercolor paintings. Air conditioning is available in only certain collections. I can only dream that they have an outdoor cafe where someone can spend an afternoon in the intra-tropical winter.

Breathtaking lacquer artworks. Even tough not understand the art, this asian-french mixed style mansion itself is also worth visiting. Noted that despite of ventilation design, it is not enough to stop the heat out side. Many works with strong communist ideology, but still interesting to see. However, it is distrubging to see not all lacquer painting were stored under air con, that extreme heat from outside may damage them. Btw, unfortunately that it didn't have a museum shop.