Thai Nguyen is a land with many historical, cultural and famous landscapes, one of which is the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups. Located in the center of Thai Nguyen city, the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups is a large-scale architectural work of great artistic value.
Let’s explore and learn about the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups with Origin Vietnam!
1. Where is the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups?
The museum is located next to the Cau River at No. 1 Doi Can, Trung Vuong Ward, Thai Nguyen City, about 80km north of Hanoi city center and about 55km from Noi Bai airport.
2. How is Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups Unique?
The Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups was established in 1960. This is a place to preserve the cultural beauty and national identity of the 54 ethnic groups in the beautiful country of Vietnam. The museum is one of the 7 national museums, covering an area of 40,000 m2. It displays nearly 50,000 original documents and artifacts of historical and cultural value of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.
In addition to displaying static objects, the museum enhances the performance of intangible cultural heritage of 54 ethnic groups: xoè dance, sap dance, Cham dance, Central Highlands gong performance, Muong gong, Thai gong, etc., creating authenticity and liveliness in the culture of the Vietnamese people. It is the combination of static and dynamic, past and future, tradition and modernity that creates an interesting attraction, leaving an impression on visitors. It’s a must visit place in Thai Nguyen.
3. When is the best time to travel to the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups?
The weather in Thai Nguyen province is typical of the weather in Northern Vietnam. It is located in a tropical monsoon climate zone with cold winters. A year here is divided into 4 seasons, including: spring, summer, autumn, winter.
According to travel experience, visitors coming here in any season is beautiful, each season has its own unique beauty.
4. How to get to the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups?
4.1. Travel by bus
Tourists in Hanoi can easily buy tickets at major bus stations: My Dinh bus station, Giap Bat bus station to go to Thai Nguyen city. The fare is about 60,000 – 200,000 VND/person, depending on the bus company and destination, travel time takes about 1.5 hours.
Tourists who choose to travel by bus will avoid getting lost, the bus moves quickly and safely. Some reputable bus companies for tourists to refer to: An Binh, Thanh Thuy, Ha Lan, Tan Dat, …
4.2. Traveling by motorbike
Tourists in the vicinity of Thai Nguyen city can choose this means of transport to travel to the city. Tourists in Hanoi go from the center of Hanoi, cross Nhat Tan bridge, then go to Highway 3, go straight north to reach Thai Nguyen city. Motorbikes are for tourists who love backpacking, want to experience the streets of Vietnam more authentically and be more proactive in moving.
Note, when traveling by motorbike, visitors need to bring all necessary documents, personal tools, maps to avoid getting lost and especially always wear a helmet to ensure safety when participating in traffic.
4.3. Travel by bus
Tourists in Hanoi can go to My Dinh bus station to buy tickets for bus number 64 from My Dinh bus station to Binh An – Soc Son shopping mall. Then, tourists can take bus number 01 from Binh An shopping mall to Thai Nguyen, then tourists can take one of the routes 06, 07, 09 to get to the museum. The travel time is quite long, from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The advantages of the bus are safety, reduced pollution, and low prices.
4.4. Travel by train
Tourists in Hanoi can go to the following stations: Yen Vien, Long Bien, Dong Anh, Gia Lam to buy train tickets to Thai Nguyen station in Thai Nguyen city with train QT1 and QT2. From Thai Nguyen station, tourists can go to the museum by many different means of transport: motorbike taxi, taxi, bus, etc. Travel time is about 2 hours.
Tourists in the South or Central region can go to the nearest station to buy a train ticket from where you live to Hanoi. Then, from Hanoi you can choose many types of transportation to get to the museum located in Thai Nguyen city. You may also check on google map here.
5. Exhibition space of the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups
5.1. Indoor display space
The indoor exhibition space of the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups is built on the basis of language groups combined with regional culture, introducing the cultural identity of 54 ethnic groups associated with the environmental landscape of each residential area. Including a solemn space in Hall A of the Museum and a system of 5 exhibition rooms.
5.1.1. Hall A – the solemn room
The main hall of the museum is where visitors are welcomed. Here, an overview of Vietnamese culture is introduced. In the large lobby of the museum, visitors can see a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people. He is holding three children, representing the three regions of North – Central – South.
Behind the statue of Uncle Ho is a large wooden relief depicting typical traditional festivals of ethnic groups from the North to the South: the Khen dance in the highland market, the lion dance in the spring festival in the valley, the Ka Te festival of the Cham people, the buffalo stabbing festival of the Central Highlands people and the Ngo boat racing festival of the Southern people.
5.1.2. 5 Showroom
Coming to the galleries, visitors will discover and learn about the culture of each ethnic group in Vietnam. Each room is a separate group of people, a separate culture, stretching from North to South in Vietnam.
Room 1:
displays and introduces the culture of ethnic groups of the Viet-Muong language group, including the Kinh, Muong, Tho, and Chut ethnic groups. Living mainly on rice cultivation and fishing, these people have the custom of ancestor worship.
Room 2:
Displays and introduces ethnic groups of the Tay – Thai language group, including the Tay, Thai, Nung, Giay, Lao, Lu, San Chay, Bo Y. They live in stilt houses, grow rice in valleys, along rivers and streams. They have quite developed blacksmithing and weaving skills, especially many unique xoè and then songs.
Room 3:
Displays and introduces the culture of ethnic groups belonging to 3 language groups: Hmong – Dao, Ka Dai and Tibetan Burmese. They are good at farming on swidden fields and terraced fields. The fair is a place to clearly show the cultural identity of the highlands and perform arts.
Room 4:
Exhibition introducing the culture of 21 ethnic groups belonging to the Mon-Khmer language group. Their economic life is mainly based on slash-and-burn cultivation at relatively high altitudes, using the method of digging holes to sow seeds. They live in the Central Highlands communal houses, have Khmer pagodas, weaving crafts and community cultural festivals.
Room 5:
Displays and introduces the culture of ethnic groups belonging to the Austronesian language group: Cham, Gia Rai, Ede, Raglai, Chu Ru. They live concentratedly on the red soil plateaus of the Central Highlands and the Central coast, and have a matriarchal culture. Ethnic groups belonging to the Han language group: Hoa, Ngai, San Diu. They live in all three regions of the North, Central, and South, and have a patriarchal culture.
5.2. Outdoor display space
The outdoor exhibition space of the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups covers an area of 40,000m2. With 6 cultural regions: the Northern highlands, the Valleys, the Northern Midlands, the Central Coast, the Truong Son – Central Highlands, the Southern Delta, each cultural region has a space for organizing festivals, a regional landscape structure and a specific, original house.
5.2.1. Cultural space of the Northern mountainous region
The Northern Highlands Cultural Area is presented on an area of 4,000m2. Visitors will admire the traditional house of the White H’Mong people, which serves as a highlight to introduce the cultural life of the residents here.
The landscape structure around the house includes: garden, fence, gate, plants around the premises. In addition, visitors can visit the cultivated fields and terraced fields of the ethnic people living here.
5.2.2. Cultural space of the valley
The valley cultural area is displayed on an area of 4,400 m2. The space allows visitors to see the traditional stilt houses of the Tay and Nung people in Lang Son province, Vietnam. The space inside the house displays collections of artifacts arranged in the style of a traditional house, including: production tools, wine making tools, bamboo rice, grilled meat and other household items.
The surrounding landscape includes: garden landscape, palm forest, tea hills, stream, spinning wheel, water-powered rice pounding mortar and the image of Thai and Muong girls carrying water, looking very lively.
5.2.3. Cultural space of the Northern Midlands and Delta region
The Northern Midlands and Deltas cultural region is displayed on an area of 3,400 m2. Here, a 5-room house and the traditional living space of the Vietnamese people are displayed. In the house, there are displayed some production tools such as: Plow, harrow, hoe…, silk weaving tools, and handicraft production.
Furthermore, visitors can also visit artifacts related to daily life such as: tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, etc., musical instruments and artifacts related to the religion and beliefs of the Kinh people. Along with the familiar landscape structure of the people of Northern Vietnam: rows of areca, jackfruit, bamboo, betel, tamarind and pond landscape, with village gates and village roads.
5.2.4. Cultural space of the central and coastal regions
The Central Coastal Cultural Region is displayed on an area of 4,000m2. Coming to the exhibition space, visitors can visit and learn about the Cham people living here. The space includes: Cham tower, Whale Temple, Cham pottery workshop.
In addition, the space also displays a collection of documents and artifacts: Production tools and pottery products, worship items, household utensils, weaving tools and products. Especially the system of Cham statues and typical artifacts of the Cham people such as Linga and yoni, Cham dancers… Along with other surrounding landscapes: cactus, casuarina, other plants and the image of a Cham girl carrying water.
5.2.5. Cultural space of Truong Son – Central Highlands region
The culture of the Truong Son – Tay Nguyen region is displayed on an area of 4,000 m2. The space displays the Ba Na Rong house, the pole in the buffalo stabbing festival, the Ba Na tomb house and traditional musical instruments: lithophone, wind instrument, water instrument… Inside the space, there are also exhibits of production tools, traditional costumes, and daily life tools.
In addition, the space also displays the surrounding landscapes: Po lang trees, Kơ nia trees, and strips of land with waterfalls flowing to operate wind and water instruments and statues of mother and baby elephants… All create an extremely realistic scene, attracting the eyes of many visitors.
5.2.6. Cultural space of the Southern Delta region
The cultural space of the Southern Delta region is displayed on an area of 4,000 m2, introducing the model and exterior landscape of the main hall of Phuong Pagoda. The space displays Southern culture in the form of a garden with many typical fruits of the region such as: Longan, mango, star apple, grapefruit, ….,
Next to it is a canal system with a monkey bridge. The space is harmoniously and vividly arranged, helping tourists visualize most clearly the culture of this land.
6. Specialties when travelling to the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups
The Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Thai Nguyen City attracts tourists with many unique specialties. Let’s explore the specialties here with us!
6.1. Tan Cuong Tea
This place is always called “The First Famous Tea” and that is why Thai Nguyen has become the place to provide the best quality and premium tea. Tan Cuong tea has a light yellowish green color, a mild aroma, and clear green tea water.
When drinking, you will feel the astringent taste but then there is a sweet taste that makes the tea here feel very different from tea in other regions. Therefore, Tan Cuong tea is also a specialty that tourists cannot ignore.
6.2. Stuffed bamboo shoots
Stuffed bamboo shoots is a very simple dish but has become a Thai Nguyen specialty that many tourists love. Bamboo shoots are stuffed with minced lean meat mixed with a little green onion and seasoned to taste. After boiling the bamboo shoots, meat is stuffed into the hollow part of the bamboo shoots and steamed.
This dish often has a strong bamboo shoot smell, the cool sour taste of bamboo shoots and the salty, fragrant taste of meat, creating a dish full of charm. When enjoying this stuffed bamboo shoots, diners can dip it in a little fish sauce, pepper and shallots to enhance the aroma and flavor of the dish.
7. Accommodation when traveling to the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups
7.1. Hotels and motels near the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups
For your convenience during your visit and long stay at the museum, we have compiled a few places where you can rest below:
- May Plaza Hotel. Address: 668 Phan Dinh Phung, Group 7, Dong Quang, Thai Nguyen City
- Queen Hotel Thai Nguyen. Address: 484 Phan Dinh Phung, Dong Quang, Thai Nguyen City
- The King Hotel – Condotel. Address: No. 99 Bac Son Street, Hoang Van Thu, Thai Nguyen City
- Hoang Mam Hotel. Address: 22 Luong The Vinh, Quang Trung, Thai Nguyen City
- Kim Thai Hotel. Address: No. 3 Hoang Van Thu, Thai Nguyen City
7.2. Homestays near the Museum of Cultures of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups
Experience being in harmony with nature, living closer to the mountains, forests and lakes. Homestay is the choice that many tourists have chosen when coming here. Beautiful homestay in Thai Nguyen city that you can choose:
- Nam My Van Homestay. Address: Phu Xa, Thai Nguyen city
- Noong Homestay. Address: Trung Vuong Ward, Thai Nguyen City
- Tran Gia Garden House. Address: Doc Lay Hamlet, Phuc Xuan Commune, Thai Nguyen City
- Hai Ha Homestay. Address: 160B, Thong Nhat Street, Dong Quang Ward, Thai Nguyen City.
With the diversity of exhibition spaces, the harmonious combination of the cultures of the three regions of North – Central – South creates a cultural landscape and environment with the characteristics of each ethnic group. This is a unique and interesting destination, both for sightseeing and learning and exploring many cultural features of Vietnamese ethnic groups.
If you are still wondering where to go for your upcoming tour Vietnam, then don’t hesitate to come here. Contact Origin Vietnam – the leading tour operator in Vietnam. With a team of enthusiastic and experienced consultants, we always help you have the most complete experience.
