Things to Do
Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum: an artistic trip through time
The Fine Arts Museum is a historical building housing art from prehistory to the contemporary era. It was built during the French Colonial period as a boarding school for the daughters of French officials, converted to a museum and opened to the public in 1966.
It contains many different types of art including pottery, sculpture, ceramics, clothing and paintings. Organized into three categories: prehistory to early history, 11th to 19th century, and Early 20th century to present day, the displays are in chronological order so that you can take a trip through Vietnamese art starting with prehistory at the bottom and ending with contemporary art on the top floor.
The displays show the influence of the Chinese during their occupation from 111 B.C. to 939 A.D. During this period, the Vietnamese learned Chinese techniques while still practicing their own indigenous arts. This is most predominately seen in the ceramics. The 10th to 15th century is often regarded as the Golden Age of Vietnamese art where the country experienced a period of independence and flourished in its own artistic endeavors. You can see the impact of Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism during this time. The French colonialists brought European influences into Vietnamese art during the 19th century, which is still evident in present-day art.
Beyond the permanent displays there is a space for temporary exhibitions, a creative space for children and a café, and you can comfortably spend between one to two hours at the museum.
66 Phố Nguyễn Thái Học, Điện Bàn, Ba Đình
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday
50,000 VND
vnfam.vn (Tiếng Việt, English)
