Vũng Tàu Provincial Museum is one of the 2 museums found in the port city of Vũng Tàu, Bà Rịa Province. Due to our tight timeframe, we had to pick either to visit the Worldwide Arms Museum or Vũng Tàu Provincial Museum. Although both museums were in fact in close proximity, but we did not want to rush. We ended up with the latter since the compound looked much larger.
After a quick grab ride from our hotel, we alighted and paid an entrance fees of 40,000 VND each. Entering the museum, the atmosphere is serene, with the soft footsteps of visitors heard. The first section on the ground floor central features a model of the geographical landscape of the city itself. Towards the end, it houses a wooden carved dragon and a large hanging plaque against the wall without any descriptions.
The museum follows a chronological journey through the region’s history as we headed up a huge flight of steps to level 3. As each floor covers an important era that has shaped the region, we started off with looking at the tourism development potential of Vũng Tàu. The statement mentioned that Vũng Tàu has many natural resources such as forests, seas, mountains, islands, etc. The use of these resources had evolved throughout the years, contributing to economical growth.
The next floor focuses on the political and military struggles of the war against French colonialism and the Vietnam War. Various relics excavated from archaeological digs around the region are on display. It includes many Bronze Age tools and weapons, fossils, and jewelry. There were also many interesting non-military items and photographs depicting local culture and everyday life.
In conclusion, visiting Vũng Tàu Provincial Museum is like stepping back into the rich tapestry of Vietnam’s history and culture. All the historical and cultural knowledge beautifully encapsulated within the walls of this informative institution. I might not exactly be a history enthusiast myself, but at least I got a glimpse of Vietnam’s history.
You might want to check out my list of history museums or other travel reviews too.
