Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a national museum in Hanoi devoted to the ethnography of Vietnam’s peoples. It presents material culture, crafts and living traditions across Vietnam’s officially recognized ethnic groups.

The institution preserves and displays collections of textiles, tools, ritual objects and other artifacts in indoor galleries, while an outdoor park contains full-size traditional houses and communal structures. The combination of interior displays and reconstructed buildings allows visitors to see both objects and built forms.

The museum was established to collect, study and present Vietnam’s ethnic diversity and to support research and education on cultural traditions. Its displays are used by scholars, students and the public to illustrate differences in language, dress and housing across regions of Vietnam.

The museum is located in the Cau Giay district of Hanoi, set on a site with both exhibition halls and landscaped outdoor areas, northwest of Hanoi’s historic Hoan Kiem Lake.

• Coverage: Displays material and cultural traditions for all 54 of Vietnam's officially recognized ethnic groups, including textiles, instruments and everyday objects.
• Layout: The museum combines indoor galleries with an outdoor park of reconstructed houses, which is particularly useful for seeing full-scale traditional architecture.

What to See #

• Indoor exhibition halls: Indoor galleries present ethnographic objects, clothing, tools and ritual items documenting the material culture of Vietnam's various ethnic groups.
• Outdoor exhibition area: An outdoor display area contains full-size reconstructed traditional houses and communal structures from several ethnic groups, set in a landscaped park.