This is an important stop when visiting Ho Chi Minh, but leave the kids outside.
We knew we wanted to visit the War Remnants Museum whilst in Ho Chi Minh but after reading other travellers advice and speaking first-hand to a friend who had recently visited we knew it wasn’t a place for a 4 and 2 year old.
Phil set off there early before 8am (it opens 7:30am) to get in before the crowds and to give us both enough time to juggle visiting and keeping the kids occupied. I then met him in the afternoon after going for lunch and a play in a nearby park for the kids and we swapped so that I could go alone and take it all in.
It is a grey, foreboding and official looking building with big gates and tanks and helicopters outside. When I visited in the afternoon there was a stream of people walking around the galleries at all times and it was sometimes difficult to read the information. Phil had a very different, peaceful experience so I would definitely recommend visiting as early as possible.
It is a government-run museum and was formally called ‘The Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes’ so that should give you some indication of what to expect. The museum is split into 3 floors: Historical Truths, Requiem and Vestiges of War Crimes.
All of the exhibits portray propaganda, photographs, newspaper clippings and videos. The photographs display very powerful images of war; mistreatment of civilians, horrors that soldiers received, torture and countless images of corpses. A very sobering, difficult experience but one that we are both glad we experienced.
We finished the tour with a visit to a little shop where victims of Agent Orange – a chemical sprayed by American planes – were selling handmade trinkets and souvenirs, we both bought a little bracelet to support them.
Outside there are American tanks and helicopters, diffused bombs and a prisoner of war prison showing how prisoners were mistreated. I missed this part but Phil said it was interesting and worth looking around.
We think this is a must-do when in HCM, despite your views on America’s involvement in the war there is information and images there that should never be forgotten or repeated, an important lesson. But please, the museum should not be seen by children the images will haunt them.
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