Ethnology Museum is divided into 3 distinct areas; each area is responsible for one typical function. Every tourist can access the information about Vietnamese culture through description under each relic and other related items, which is translated in 3 languages: Vietnamese, English, and French.
Trong Dong House (Bronze Drum House)
The house is designed by a Vietnamese engineer with the arrangement of furniture by a French engineer. This structure is the replication of Dong Son Bronze Drum, a carved-delicate drum used more than 2000 years ago.
With an area of 2000 m2, he house composes of 2 floors with the perfect combination among cultural space of 54 Vietnamese ethnic cultures. This place expresses a lively customs and practices of ethnic minority through pictures, films, videos, or cultural research. All items are arranged logically, which make the high impressions for visitors about Vietnamese identity. There are also 2 prioritized spaces for exhibitions, which follows fixed topics of organizers.
An old Vietnamese bicycle with fishing tools
"Gong vo" - A simple system for pumping water of ethnic minorities in mountainous area
The performance of Ede people's ritual
Canh Dieu House (Kite House)
On campus of Ethnology Museum, Kite House is an attractive destination for visitors because it showcases the diversity of Asian countries. There are 3 floors for serving the public, where often hold the cultural exhibitions about Asian culture and other the typical cultures in the world, contemporary exhibitions and educational spaces. The fourth floor of the museum is used for the preservation of precious relics. Besides, Kite House is also designed with halls, a cinema and multimedia, which supply for a clearer information about cultural characteristics of both Vietnam and other countries.
Kite House
Architectural Garden
With green space of grass and trees, architectural garden is a wonderful site for learning about the traditional houses of ethnic groups in all Vietnamese regions from the North to the South. There are 10 different ancient houses, which manifest for architectural styles of 10 ethnic minorities in Vietnam: Bana, Ede, Tay, Dao, H’Mong, Kinh, Ha Nhi, Giarai, Cotu, Cham. At weekend, visitors can enjoy the performances of traditional water puppet theatre and calligraphy in front of Kinh people’s house.
Water puppet theatre
Traditional house of Ha Nhi people is made from clay, stones, palm leaves, and gravels. With the support of 20 workers, this house is completed within 56 days. Besides the main house, Ha Nhi people also built the other house for their animals.
Kinh people’s house is divided the house into 5 different compartments because of the influence of Buddhist perceptions. Each part is responsible for a distinct function: a bedroom, a room for worshipping ancestors, a studying room,…
Nha Mo is a typical structure of Giarai people, which is considered as the final resting place of the death. There are the wooden statues of couples and pregnant women, which express for the wish of Vietnamese people about the proliferation of the next generations. Insides, local people put the daily items of the dead.
Nha Rong is the traditional house of Bana people. This house is measured with 19m in height and an area of 19m2. There are 8 big pillars; four out of eight pillars reach nearly 60cm in diameter. In the Bana culture, Nha Rong is the most beautiful structure, which reflects typical lifestyle and the strength of their community. Every important events of Bana people is organized in this house such as the meetings of leaders, holy places for traditional rituals.
