The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (Vietnamese: Bảo tàng Dân tộc học Việt Nam) is a museum in Hanoi, Vietnam, which focuses on the 54 officially recognised ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is located on a 43,799-square-metre (10.823-acre) property in the Cầu Giấy District, about 8 km from the city center. The Museum is a member of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences - an academic institution of the Vietnamese Government.
A second exhibition building was open in 2013 and has a focus on Southeast Asian cultures and peoples.
Very interesting museum depicting something I was unaware of before, i.e. that there are so many different ethnic minorities in South East Asia. The outside exhibits were amazing, but time spent beforehand reading up on them inside the museum proper was time well spent. A casual visitor to Vietnam would be unlikely to see, meet, or come across most of the people's discussed. Most of them are hill tribe people and as I understand it, special visas are required to travel to these areas. So, I thoroughly recommend a visit to this establishment.
John RedmondFeb 1, 2018
Nice and interesting museum. With also an open air part with traditional houses. Been there now been a second time. You learn more about the 52 ethnic diversity in Vietnam. Another part of the museum is about some Asian countries.
Bob HillesumFeb 25, 2018
The outdoor indigenous housing was quite impressive. The indoor displays were okay, as it leaves the impression that they grew rice, went fishing, they made clothes and occasionally played music. We were sad that we missed the concert and that the water puppet show was finished for the day/season. A lot of humble utilitarian artifacts. Not much in the way of Vietnamese history. Sadly, Elephants of Vietnam display was closed. It was slightly distracting that outdoor village house area was under construction and a mess. The tour groups tend to do a hostile take over and hog the indoor displays. This would probably been more enjoyable without the tour groups. There is decent cafe on-site with indoor and outdoor seating. Quality gift shop. I think going earlier would have afforded this outing more enjoyment ( for reference 11am is when we arrived at museum)
Michelle CobleNov 25, 2017
Honestly, the Museum was both fun and educational, and I would recommend it to anyone in Hanoi, especially foreigners. It's only 40,000đ per adult (2USD) and you get access to two indoor museums and an outside exhibit with original houses that have been restored. It opened my eyes to Vietnam and the culture and history within the country.
Beth KoontzFeb 10, 2018
This is a beautiful museum in Hanoi, probably because our tour guide took time to painstakingly explain to us the rich history of the aboriginal tribes. Learned so much from this place including the different types of houses, shamans, traditions, burial/marriage traditions. We saw the traditional clothes, demography, geography of the country. Outside the museum, there are also life-size houses you can go in. Worth-it!
Richel KingJan 19, 2018
Superb museum exhibiting actual folk art of various ethnic groups living in Vietnam. Excellent introduction to the various groups with maps and histories of their origins. Actual homes of the differing styles lives in previously and currently by various tribes have been transported and arranged in a walk-through Village. Further, a water puppet theatre in traditional style is located on the grounds and shows are offered from time to time. Brilliant!
Reginald WilliamsMar 15, 2018
really wonderful exhibits indoors and outdoors; worth at least 2-3 hours visit because after the main building + outdoor culture village reconstruction, there's also the art gallery which has some amazing foreign things like Indonesian glass paintings. the cafe-restaurant is nice too
Tom BrodrickMar 21, 2018
Interesting but came at the end of a long day of touring. Interesting but wasn't really my cup of tea. Outside exhibits were impressive of full scale traditional huts Internal exhibits were well done and displayed the 54 tribes in Vietnam along with their clothing and artifacts
Stephen O'DonnellMar 12, 2018
A lot of history about the different tribes if that's what you want to call it that are in Vietnam. Very interesting and very well done. You could spend at least 2 to 3 hours there but I'm sure that I only spend an hour and a half. It is not air-conditioned but it was not that bad in there. There is an area on the grounds that also show this information but it's mostly in Vietnamese period go inside first and read about it carefully and it will make more sense when you go on the grounds and see the different types of I've living quarters that each one had Etc
Gary WinterApr 14, 2018
Huge and very detailed museum. Gives a good overview about Vietnam ethnic groups. The exhibition about People of Asia is very interesting as well, but it's in another building, so most of the people skip this one. The best thing was walking around real traditional houses. Price 40000 per person.
Oksana HrynovetsApr 16, 2018
A very nice museum for those who wish to understand the culture and architecture of vietnam. There are full size sample houses of each tribe. There is also a space for water puppet performance. Time of show can be found at Viet pavilion inside.
sonal thanawalaMay 30, 2018
The best thing about this place is that it has these big, mostly empty air conditioned rooms. Great for letting a toddler stretch his legs a bit on a 37°C day.
dick cherryMay 28, 2018
Wonderful museum. Coming from a culture which is full of diversity, I thoroughly enjoyed the variety on display. It gives you a good glimpse into the lifestyle of various tribes of Vietnam. After coming out, I feel a bit dissatisfied with the information presented. I would have preferred more details about evolution of these tribes against time and how they intermingled with each other.
Sunil ChandraJun 13, 2018
Must visit place once you are in Vietnam. You need learn more about people root of Vietname and have chance to see how life from the past until recent. We are fully offered very detailed information by our tour guide.
Sivansak NEYJun 7, 2018
Wonderful displays of clothes, important items and descriptions of manufacturing processes from different cultures, not just Vietnam. Will be going back for second visit and to finish looking round. In 2 hours we did less than half but that because we took photographs and drew a few things. Only 40,000đ entry (plus 10,000đ for scooter parking) - just brilliant.
Gisèle BoneAug 6, 2018
Definitely worth visiting. This is a very educational place to visit. Not too far away, just a VND75000 Grab ride from the Old Quarter. Only about VND30000 to enter, and you get to see a Vietnamese history/culture museum, Southeast Asia exhibit, and even world exhibit. Also some beautiful village house models from different regions of Vietnam. Beautifully structured and an absolute pleasure!
Cathy KramerJul 21, 2018
Just the Must place to visit. Everything is nice. The new aisle is just nice to visit and the outdoor exhibits are as always marvellous.
Quoc Quan TRANAug 9, 2018
Very interesting museum depicting something I was unaware of before, i.e. that there are so many different ethnic minorities in South East Asia. The outside exhibits were amazing, but time spent beforehand reading up on them inside the museum proper was time well spent. A casual visitor to Vietnam would be unlikely to see, meet, or come across most of the people's discussed. Most of them are hill tribe people and as I understand it, special visas are required to travel to these areas. So, I thoroughly recommend a visit to this establishment.
John RedmondFeb 1, 2018
Nice and interesting museum. With also an open air part with traditional houses. Been there now been a second time. You learn more about the 52 ethnic diversity in Vietnam. Another part of the museum is about some Asian countries.
Bob HillesumFeb 25, 2018
The outdoor indigenous housing was quite impressive. The indoor displays were okay, as it leaves the impression that they grew rice, went fishing, they made clothes and occasionally played music. We were sad that we missed the concert and that the water puppet show was finished for the day/season. A lot of humble utilitarian artifacts. Not much in the way of Vietnamese history. Sadly, Elephants of Vietnam display was closed. It was slightly distracting that outdoor village house area was under construction and a mess. The tour groups tend to do a hostile take over and hog the indoor displays. This would probably been more enjoyable without the tour groups. There is decent cafe on-site with indoor and outdoor seating. Quality gift shop. I think going earlier would have afforded this outing more enjoyment ( for reference 11am is when we arrived at museum)
Michelle CobleNov 25, 2017
Honestly, the Museum was both fun and educational, and I would recommend it to anyone in Hanoi, especially foreigners. It's only 40,000đ per adult (2USD) and you get access to two indoor museums and an outside exhibit with original houses that have been restored. It opened my eyes to Vietnam and the culture and history within the country.
Beth KoontzFeb 10, 2018
This is a beautiful museum in Hanoi, probably because our tour guide took time to painstakingly explain to us the rich history of the aboriginal tribes. Learned so much from this place including the different types of houses, shamans, traditions, burial/marriage traditions. We saw the traditional clothes, demography, geography of the country. Outside the museum, there are also life-size houses you can go in. Worth-it!
Richel KingJan 19, 2018
Superb museum exhibiting actual folk art of various ethnic groups living in Vietnam. Excellent introduction to the various groups with maps and histories of their origins. Actual homes of the differing styles lives in previously and currently by various tribes have been transported and arranged in a walk-through Village. Further, a water puppet theatre in traditional style is located on the grounds and shows are offered from time to time. Brilliant!
Reginald WilliamsMar 15, 2018
really wonderful exhibits indoors and outdoors; worth at least 2-3 hours visit because after the main building + outdoor culture village reconstruction, there's also the art gallery which has some amazing foreign things like Indonesian glass paintings. the cafe-restaurant is nice too
Tom BrodrickMar 21, 2018
Interesting but came at the end of a long day of touring. Interesting but wasn't really my cup of tea. Outside exhibits were impressive of full scale traditional huts Internal exhibits were well done and displayed the 54 tribes in Vietnam along with their clothing and artifacts
Stephen O'DonnellMar 12, 2018
A lot of history about the different tribes if that's what you want to call it that are in Vietnam. Very interesting and very well done. You could spend at least 2 to 3 hours there but I'm sure that I only spend an hour and a half. It is not air-conditioned but it was not that bad in there. There is an area on the grounds that also show this information but it's mostly in Vietnamese period go inside first and read about it carefully and it will make more sense when you go on the grounds and see the different types of I've living quarters that each one had Etc
Gary WinterApr 14, 2018
Huge and very detailed museum. Gives a good overview about Vietnam ethnic groups. The exhibition about People of Asia is very interesting as well, but it's in another building, so most of the people skip this one. The best thing was walking around real traditional houses. Price 40000 per person.
Oksana HrynovetsApr 16, 2018
A very nice museum for those who wish to understand the culture and architecture of vietnam. There are full size sample houses of each tribe. There is also a space for water puppet performance. Time of show can be found at Viet pavilion inside.
sonal thanawalaMay 30, 2018
The best thing about this place is that it has these big, mostly empty air conditioned rooms. Great for letting a toddler stretch his legs a bit on a 37°C day.
dick cherryMay 28, 2018
Wonderful museum. Coming from a culture which is full of diversity, I thoroughly enjoyed the variety on display. It gives you a good glimpse into the lifestyle of various tribes of Vietnam. After coming out, I feel a bit dissatisfied with the information presented. I would have preferred more details about evolution of these tribes against time and how they intermingled with each other.
Sunil ChandraJun 13, 2018
Must visit place once you are in Vietnam. You need learn more about people root of Vietname and have chance to see how life from the past until recent. We are fully offered very detailed information by our tour guide.
Sivansak NEYJun 7, 2018
Wonderful displays of clothes, important items and descriptions of manufacturing processes from different cultures, not just Vietnam. Will be going back for second visit and to finish looking round. In 2 hours we did less than half but that because we took photographs and drew a few things. Only 40,000đ entry (plus 10,000đ for scooter parking) - just brilliant.
Gisèle BoneAug 6, 2018
Definitely worth visiting. This is a very educational place to visit. Not too far away, just a VND75000 Grab ride from the Old Quarter. Only about VND30000 to enter, and you get to see a Vietnamese history/culture museum, Southeast Asia exhibit, and even world exhibit. Also some beautiful village house models from different regions of Vietnam. Beautifully structured and an absolute pleasure!
Cathy KramerJul 21, 2018
Just the Must place to visit. Everything is nice. The new aisle is just nice to visit and the outdoor exhibits are as always marvellous.
Quoc Quan TRANAug 9, 2018
Very interesting museum depicting something I was unaware of before, i.e. that there are so many different ethnic minorities in South East Asia. The outside exhibits were amazing, but time spent beforehand reading up on them inside the museum proper was time well spent. A casual visitor to Vietnam would be unlikely to see, meet, or come across most of the people's discussed. Most of them are hill tribe people and as I understand it, special visas are required to travel to these areas. So, I thoroughly recommend a visit to this establishment.
John RedmondFeb 1, 2018
Nice and interesting museum. With also an open air part with traditional houses. Been there now been a second time. You learn more about the 52 ethnic diversity in Vietnam. Another part of the museum is about some Asian countries.
Bob HillesumFeb 25, 2018
The outdoor indigenous housing was quite impressive. The indoor displays were okay, as it leaves the impression that they grew rice, went fishing, they made clothes and occasionally played music. We were sad that we missed the concert and that the water puppet show was finished for the day/season. A lot of humble utilitarian artifacts. Not much in the way of Vietnamese history. Sadly, Elephants of Vietnam display was closed. It was slightly distracting that outdoor village house area was under construction and a mess. The tour groups tend to do a hostile take over and hog the indoor displays. This would probably been more enjoyable without the tour groups. There is decent cafe on-site with indoor and outdoor seating. Quality gift shop. I think going earlier would have afforded this outing more enjoyment ( for reference 11am is when we arrived at museum)
Michelle CobleNov 25, 2017
Honestly, the Museum was both fun and educational, and I would recommend it to anyone in Hanoi, especially foreigners. It's only 40,000đ per adult (2USD) and you get access to two indoor museums and an outside exhibit with original houses that have been restored. It opened my eyes to Vietnam and the culture and history within the country.
Beth KoontzFeb 10, 2018
This is a beautiful museum in Hanoi, probably because our tour guide took time to painstakingly explain to us the rich history of the aboriginal tribes. Learned so much from this place including the different types of houses, shamans, traditions, burial/marriage traditions. We saw the traditional clothes, demography, geography of the country. Outside the museum, there are also life-size houses you can go in. Worth-it!
Richel KingJan 19, 2018
Superb museum exhibiting actual folk art of various ethnic groups living in Vietnam. Excellent introduction to the various groups with maps and histories of their origins. Actual homes of the differing styles lives in previously and currently by various tribes have been transported and arranged in a walk-through Village. Further, a water puppet theatre in traditional style is located on the grounds and shows are offered from time to time. Brilliant!
Reginald WilliamsMar 15, 2018
really wonderful exhibits indoors and outdoors; worth at least 2-3 hours visit because after the main building + outdoor culture village reconstruction, there's also the art gallery which has some amazing foreign things like Indonesian glass paintings. the cafe-restaurant is nice too
Tom BrodrickMar 21, 2018
Interesting but came at the end of a long day of touring. Interesting but wasn't really my cup of tea. Outside exhibits were impressive of full scale traditional huts Internal exhibits were well done and displayed the 54 tribes in Vietnam along with their clothing and artifacts
Stephen O'DonnellMar 12, 2018
A lot of history about the different tribes if that's what you want to call it that are in Vietnam. Very interesting and very well done. You could spend at least 2 to 3 hours there but I'm sure that I only spend an hour and a half. It is not air-conditioned but it was not that bad in there. There is an area on the grounds that also show this information but it's mostly in Vietnamese period go inside first and read about it carefully and it will make more sense when you go on the grounds and see the different types of I've living quarters that each one had Etc
Gary WinterApr 14, 2018
Huge and very detailed museum. Gives a good overview about Vietnam ethnic groups. The exhibition about People of Asia is very interesting as well, but it's in another building, so most of the people skip this one. The best thing was walking around real traditional houses. Price 40000 per person.
Oksana HrynovetsApr 16, 2018
A very nice museum for those who wish to understand the culture and architecture of vietnam. There are full size sample houses of each tribe. There is also a space for water puppet performance. Time of show can be found at Viet pavilion inside.
sonal thanawalaMay 30, 2018
The best thing about this place is that it has these big, mostly empty air conditioned rooms. Great for letting a toddler stretch his legs a bit on a 37°C day.
dick cherryMay 28, 2018
Wonderful museum. Coming from a culture which is full of diversity, I thoroughly enjoyed the variety on display. It gives you a good glimpse into the lifestyle of various tribes of Vietnam. After coming out, I feel a bit dissatisfied with the information presented. I would have preferred more details about evolution of these tribes against time and how they intermingled with each other.
Sunil ChandraJun 13, 2018
Must visit place once you are in Vietnam. You need learn more about people root of Vietname and have chance to see how life from the past until recent. We are fully offered very detailed information by our tour guide.
Sivansak NEYJun 7, 2018
Wonderful displays of clothes, important items and descriptions of manufacturing processes from different cultures, not just Vietnam. Will be going back for second visit and to finish looking round. In 2 hours we did less than half but that because we took photographs and drew a few things. Only 40,000đ entry (plus 10,000đ for scooter parking) - just brilliant.
Gisèle BoneAug 6, 2018
Definitely worth visiting. This is a very educational place to visit. Not too far away, just a VND75000 Grab ride from the Old Quarter. Only about VND30000 to enter, and you get to see a Vietnamese history/culture museum, Southeast Asia exhibit, and even world exhibit. Also some beautiful village house models from different regions of Vietnam. Beautifully structured and an absolute pleasure!
Cathy KramerJul 21, 2018
Just the Must place to visit. Everything is nice. The new aisle is just nice to visit and the outdoor exhibits are as always marvellous.
Quoc Quan TRANAug 9, 2018
Monday | Closed |
Tuesday | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
Wednesday | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
Thursday | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
Friday | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
Saturday | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
Sunday | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
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