Military History Museum, Hanoi

One of the oldest museums in Hanoi, the Army Museum, also called the Military History Museum is a tribute to the Vietnamese army that fought to preserve the unity, integrity and independence of Vietnam against the French and during the U.S. offensive.

The Military History Museum is located at the center of Hanoi near the statue of V.I. Lenin. The Cot Co Hanoi Flag Tower, one of the city’s monuments stands on the grounds of the museum. The 31 meter high tower was built between 1805 and 1812 and offers a panoramic view of the surroundings. It is also the last remaining structure from the citadel built by the Vietnamese emperor Gia Long.

Visitors are greeted outside the museum by an artistic arrangement of wrecked American B-52s. The main exhibition hall in the Military History Museum has photographs, scale models and maps showing the struggle for independence against the French colonial rulers, from the 1930 uprising to the victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. In another exhibition hall, the victory in the Vietnam War by the Vietnamese Army is described. The unique weaponry used by the Vietnamese including bamboo spikes, crude firearms, buffalo horns and indigenous torpedoes to defeat enemies who fought with more sophisticated arsenal, make interesting exhibits at the museum.