Saigon War Remnants Museum

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It has been 40 years since the war against the Americans came to an end, and the remaining traces of the war are gradually fading to the relentless socio-economic development. However, the pain is still there. For the younger generation today, what has happened in the past is now just stories, but for many people who have once experienced war, the painful memories still exist. The War Remnants Museum offers half a million visitors each year a narrative of what Vietnamese people have experienced in the years that they fought for their freedom.

A Brief Overview

Established by the Vietnamese government on the 9th of September, 1975, the museum was originally called “The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government”. Then in 1990 it was renamed to the “Museum of American War Crimes”, and then not until the 4th of July, 1995, did people start to refer to it as the “War Remnants Museum”.  The War Remnants Museum is a member of the World Peace Museum and World Museum Committee. The museum specializes in researching, collecting, preserving and displaying evidence, the crimes, and consequences of the Vietnam War.

At present, the museum has eight regular special exhibitions and many mobile exhibitions to serve the public. It is an attractive destination in Ho Chi Minh City, especially for foreign visitors. Many Americans have come here to gain the most accurate view of the scars of the decades of war Vietnam has endured. In 2013, the world-famous travel website Trip Advisor placed the Vietnam War Remnants Museum in the top five of the 25 most fascinating museums in Asia.

Outside the museum’s high walls, there is a courtyard filled with military vehicles and unexploded ordnances. These artifacts clearly leave visitors with a strong impression since not many people get to see a Huey and Chinook helicopter or a South Vietnamese Air Force’s tank or fighter jet face to face. The military equipment also includes an A-1 Skyraider attack bomber, M48 Patton tank, an A-37 Dragonfly attack bomber, an F-5A fighter and a BLU-82 “Daisy Cutter” bomb.

However, the most heartbreaking artifact for visitors is probably the guillotine. This machine was brought to Vietnam by the French colonialists to suppress the people during the resistance war for independence of the country in the early 20th century. After the Geneva Agreement, the old Saigon authorities took this guillotine around southern provinces to execute patriots. After the country was fully liberated, this murder machine was brought here to prove the colonial war crimes.

Going to the far-left side of the main hall, you’ll find yourself in a building reproducing the “barbed-wired tiger cages” in which the South Vietnamese government kept political prisoners. These cages are so tiny (only 2.7m x 1.5m x 3m each) but were used to imprison up to 14 people. There are also mannequin bodies positioned inside for you to gain a clearer picture.