Museum of Ethnology
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a museum in Hanoi, Vietnam, which focuses on the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. It also covers the 5 major language groups, and there is, (at least while we were there) a water puppet show.
We found it to be one of the most interesting museums we’ve been to. This is partly due to the subject matter, but also how well it is done.
Who doesn’t like being greeted by a bicycle loaded up with fish traps –
An explanation of religion in Vietnam –
Cool picture –
Then we came to an exhibit of a collection of quilts that was beyond impressive –
Once we had our tongues back into our mouths, we moved on to more exhibits –
By this time we’d finished the main exhibits. We grabbed a bite in their restaurant and planned to go to the famous “water puppets” that night. Talking to a guide at the museum we were told that they had a performance there in a few minutes.
Water puppetry is a Vietnamese tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century.
The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water. When rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.
The skits are all rooted in Vietnamese folk lore. Naturally, there is the boy meets girl… There are also fighting beasts, and day-to-day activities.
Ho Chi Min Museum
We took a Grab over to the Ho Chi Min Mausoleum campus.
The mausoleum part is only open from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. We missed that, but were able to go to the adjoining museum. To say that this rhapsodized Ho Chi Min and the revolution is an understatement. I’ve got a few quotes that show what I mean – click on them to read
Vietnamese Women’s Museum
The Vietnamese Women’s Museum functions as a gender museum and research center that provides knowledge on the historical and cultural heritage of Vietnamese women among the nation’s 54 ethnic communities. It illuminates the significant roles and contributions of Vietnamese women in the historical and cultural development of Vietnam.00
We walked to an eye glasses store near Sword Lake on the way, as Ellen’s glasses had had a mishap and needed to be replaced. We found a place, and it was so much cheaper than in the U.S.
Speaking of cheaper, we updated our drug supply yesterday, and I got about 2 months of several prescriptions for less than $10.00. Even though Vietnam has the lowest prices in the region, come on!
Here are some of the sights on the way to the museum –
We made it to the museum, and it was pretty good. I was thinking about how we have museums for all kinds of American groups, but I don’t think we have a women’s museum. Not sure how DEI fits in to this but…just saying. Having said this, gender roles are still fairly strictly adhered to here in Vietnam, especially in the villages.
At least they give lip service to it. It also appears that Uncle Ho recognized talent. His chief negotiator in Paris was a woman.
The second floor was for revolutionaries.
The last exhibit floor was about Vietnamese fashion, because afterall, “clothes make the woman.”
And lastly, what man is not driven insane with desire by a woman with black lacquered teeth –
