Museum of Southern Women – Celebrating the grace of Vietnamese women

The Museum of Southern Women in Saigon preserves numerous documents and artifacts that honor the elegance of Vietnamese women throughout different eras. It has become a captivating destination for both local and international tourists exploring Saigon.

Museum of Southern Women – Celebrating the grace of Vietnamese women

Address: The Museum of Southern Women is located at 202 Vo Thi Sau Street, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

The Museum of Southern Women, originally the residence of Mrs. Nguyen Ngoc Loan – the Director General of the National Police of the Republic of Vietnam. On April 29, 1985, it was transformed into the Traditional House of Southern Women, covering an area of 200 square meters with 6 exhibition rooms.

However, due to its relatively small size, it struggled to convey the entire content and notable activities of Southern women during the nation-building and defending periods. Therefore, on March 8, 1986, construction for the new museum commenced. On May 18, 1990, The Museum of Southern Women was officially inaugurated.

The Museum of Southern Women in Ho Chi Minh City is constructed to honor the Vietnamese women who contributed to the country's development and to celebrate their roles as mothers, wives, and heroic fighters during the war.

The museum, with three floors and 10 exhibition rooms, depicts historical figures, including a prominent exhibition highlighting the role of women in the revolution, serving as politicians, diplomats, and national administrators. Additionally, the museum serves as a center for educational activities, scientific seminars, and cultural exchanges.

The Museum of Southern Women displays various themes, with only a few occasionally exhibited. Notably, 11 permanent themes include:

• Traditions of Southern women before the establishment of the Communist Party;
• Uncle Ho with Southern women and Southern women with Uncle Ho;
• Formation and development of Vietnamese women's organizations;
• Southern women after the reunification of the country;
• Southern women in politics;
• Southern women in the military;
• Southern women in foreign affairs;
• Southern women in colonial prisons;
• Worship of Lady – an extraordinary female figure;
• Clothing and jewelry of Vietnamese ethnic women;
• Traditional handwoven crafts.

The museum houses 30,000 artifacts, divided into 24 collections. Inside the Museum of Southern Women in Ho Chi Minh City, there are displays of paintings and artifacts associated with the dedication of women during the Vietnam War, with two rooms describing the activities of influential women in the revolution, such as Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Vo Thi Sau, Nguyen Thi Dinh, and others.

Furthermore, the museum exhibits ao dai, a collection of 65 pieces displayed on the first floor. As soon as you enter the room, on the left is a large brown board describing an overview of the changes in ao dai throughout historical fluctuations in Vietnamese, English, and French. Around the exhibition room are many ao dai arranged chronologically. Therefore, careful attention is needed to compare the refinement of ao dai across different periods, from 1744 to the recent era.

The heritage collection 'Women in Resistance against Two Wars' is displayed on the second floor of the museum, divided into four sub-themes: political prisoners, foreign affairs, images of women fighting when the enemy attacked, and the long-haired army.

In addition, the Museum of Southern Women in Ho Chi Minh City has established a collection of 350 artifacts used in the productive labor of women from the Truong Son – Central Highlands ethnic groups, as well as the Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham, and Khmer communities.

According to Mytour

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour