A place to preserve the heroic memories of a heroic nation

Border Defense – Located in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, the Vietnam Military History Museum is an important project to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, the 35th anniversary of the National Defense Day and the 80th anniversary of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army. The museum is not only a project to display the history of war, but also creates a common space for visitors to interact and experience the struggle for independence of the heroic Vietnamese people and the heroic Vietnam People's Army.

Panorama of the Vietnam Military History Museum. Photo: Thuy Le

A modern building

The Vietnam Military History Museum covers an area of ​​386,600 square meters, built at Km 6+500 on Thang Long Avenue, in Tay Mo and Dai Mo wards of Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi city. The museum is modernly designed with 4 floors above ground and a semi-basement floor. This is a special project invested by the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, started at the end of 2019 with a total investment of more than 2,500 billion VND.

The Vietnam Military History Museum is one of the national museums and is the leader in the Military Museum system, currently preserving and displaying more than 150,000 documents and artifacts, including many unique collections and 4 National Treasures, including: MiG-21 aircraft numbered 4324, MiG-21 aircraft numbered 5121, Ho Chi Minh Campaign Determination Map and T-54B tank numbered 843 along with many other valuable artifacts. The Vietnam Military History Museum is considered a meaningful project for both the past and the future, creating a highlight not only for the Army, but also for the Capital and the whole country. The project will contribute to promoting the history, culture, tourism, socio-economic development of Hanoi, being an architectural highlight, harmoniously connecting and preserving the architecture and landscape of the area.

At the Museum, the public can experience and admire the heroic wars of the heroic Vietnamese people and the heroic Vietnam People's Army. The area to the right of the museum displays weapons and equipment used by the French and American armies during the war of aggression against Vietnam. Among the special artifacts are the M-107 175mm self-propelled gun known as the "king of the battlefield"; many types of aircraft left behind by the US army after the war such as A37, F5E, CH47, C130; dozens of types of bombs used by the US army during the Vietnam War.

On the left side of the museum is the area displaying weapons and equipment used by the Vietnam People's Army in the resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism and in combat training during the period of national construction and defense. Typical artifacts include: 85mm cannon, 57mm anti-aircraft cannon, PT67 tank number 555, MiG-17 aircraft number 2047, SU22 aircraft...

The exhibition space inside the museum on the first floor is divided into 6 topics, arranged in chronological order and with a reasonable layout. Specifically, topic 1: The early days of building and defending the country; topic 2: Protecting independence from 939 to 1858; topic 3: Fighting against French colonialism, gaining national independence from 1858 to 1945; topic 4: Resistance against French colonialism, 1945 - 1954; topic 5: Resistance against the US from 1954 to 1975; topic 6: Building and defending the country from 1976 to the present day. The artifacts are all specifically annotated, attached with event information. The types of display are very diverse, including text, information lookup screens, photo media, automatic audioguide explanations and QR codes to look up information about artifacts and images.

Many modern technology applications are applied, creating a realistic feeling for viewers such as 3D mapping sand tables, search screen systems, documentaries... In particular, the Museum has built more than 60 clips and supporting documents for each campaign and battle so that visitors can clearly feel and access them more easily.

Relive the glorious memories

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, Head of the Propaganda and Education Department, Vietnam Military History Museum, said: The new museum opened on November 1, 2024. Every day, an average of 20,000-30,000 people from the capital and many other regions come to visit. Especially on weekends, despite hot, dry or stormy weather, tens of thousands of people from all over still flock to visit the Vietnam Military History Museum, causing traffic jams at times.

Since its opening, tens of thousands of people have visited the Museum every day. Photo: Thuy Le

Although he had to travel a long distance to visit, veteran Tran Hoa Nam, now over 80 years old, from Nghe An, one of the witnesses to the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954, emotionally said: “Visiting the Museum, I felt like I was reliving the glorious but also very heroic years of war of the nation. At that time, although our country was facing difficulties and hardships, the army and people were united and joined forces to protect the country. Especially, the moment we heard the news that General De Castries had been captured, we all exploded, burst into cheers, tears welled up, and we were so moved that we could not describe it. Many years have passed, but we still remember our beloved Uncle Ho and General Vo Nguyen Giap who made extremely wise decisions leading to that glorious victory.”

Sharing the same sentiment, veteran Nguyen Van Hung, residing in Cau Giay district, Hanoi city, a historical witness who participated in the “Red Summer” Campaign at Quang Tri ancient citadel in 1972, emotionally recounted: “Every time I look at these photos, I remember my comrades who remained on the battlefield…”.

It can be said that visiting and admiring the vivid artifacts at the Museum is also an opportunity for the young generation, the future owners of the country, to better understand the history and sacrifices of previous generations and to promote the precious traditions of the nation. Regardless of the long distance, the young girl Nguyen Mai Linh, born in 1995, from Ho Chi Minh City said: “My grandfather participated in the resistance war, so I really want to see the artifacts of the war. Through this trip, we have learned a lot more about the history of the nation, making me feel proud and deeply grateful to the previous generations.”

Not only attractive to domestic people, the Vietnam Military History Museum also attracts many foreign tourists to visit and learn. Michel Thomson, 35 years old, a British tourist, was extremely excited to see the artifacts reproduced very realistically at the Museum. "I love Vietnamese history, I even chose to study Vietnamese history when I attended university. After 3 years in Vietnam, I was able to read books in Vietnamese to research the heroic feats of this country" - Mr. Michel Thomson shared.

Thuy Le – bienphong.com.vn

Source: https://www.bienphong.com.vn/noi-luu-giu-nhung-ky-uc-hao-hung-cua-dan-toc-anh-hung-post483582.html