Museum of Revolution, Hanoi

One of the best museums in Vietnam, this repository of photographs and other exhibits showcases the long struggle by the Vietnamese people for independence and unity. It was established in 1959 in a French colonial building that previously belonged to the Trade Department of Vietnam.

The museum is dedicated to the struggle against the French colonial rulers and other foreign powers by the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist party. The national liberation movements against the French before the establishment of the Communist party are also showcased at the museum. The struggle against the Americans in the Vietnam War is the topic of the exhibits presented on the first floor; the 2nd floor is devoted to struggle against the French colonial rulers. Photographs and memorabilia tell the story of Ho Chi Minh and there are oil paintings that show the struggles and torture suffered by the Vietnamese people in colonial prisons of Phu Coq Island in South Vietnam. Visitors can view the evolution of modern Vietnam, from the August revolution of 1945, that resulted in victory against the French in Dien Bien Phu, to the present.

The Museum of Revolution in Hanoi has 30 galleries and over 40.000 historical exhibits including a 1920s jar that stored revolutionary documents, a Japanese Buddhist drum that was played at communist rallies, and the first sewing machine in Vietnam.