Vietnam Literature Museum- hidden gem in the capital city

The Vietnam Museum of Literature officially opened in Hanoi on June 26, 2015. The three-storey museum, covering an area of 3,000 square metres and built at a cost of almost 50 billion VND (2.3 million USD), is made up of spaces to organise events and exhibition areas. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor is dedicated to introduce figures of the Vietnamese literary group from the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The construction of the Vietnam Museum of Literature, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. The Vietnam Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of development of Vietnamese literature. The museum has three floors. The first floor is the exhibition of artifacts and documents of Vietnamese literature in ancient and medieval times. At the central area, there is a stone in a symbolic pen shape brought from Hung Temple with meaningful words of the great poet Nguyen Du. Here is the exhibition of artifacts of Vietnamese literature from 10th century to the end of 19th century, as well as the history of written characters of Vietnam on mediums such as paper, cloth, metal, and leaves. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

This is one of the most valuable museums in Vietnam in terms of culture and literature. On the first floor, there are displays illustrating the images of national examinations of the past. In addition, there are computer screens introducing artifacts as digital images. Visitors here enter a world of cinema introducing Vietnamese literature from ancient history to present date. The second floor hosts an exhibition of artifacts and documents on writers who won the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Literature and Art. Some famous names are Nam Cao, Te Hanh, and Nguyen Quang Sang. There are exhibitions of some celebrities of literature in Vietnam in the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da, and Ho Chi Minh, along with writers of critical realism, revolution and romance. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The third floor is a showcase for writers who won State Awards on Literature and Art in the period that captures the revolution against French colonialism, literature Zone V, South Central, and writers in the north and south of Vietnam. There is an exhibition on the Truong Son complex with famous poets such as Hoang Cam, Pham Tien Duat, and on information on the Vietnam Congress sessions of the Vietnam Writers Association. In addition to these floors, there are two exhibition rooms entitled International Exchanges and Vietnam Countryside Discovery. At the opening ceremony, Poet Huu Thinh, Chairman of Vietnam Writers Association as well as Director of Vietnam Literature Museum said that the facility not only preserves artifacts of literary research, but is also an attractive cultural address appealing to tourists to explore and learn more about the diverse and colorful nature of Vietnamese literature. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Among 40,000 collected artifacts and documents, there are 3,454 documents and artifacts chosen to put on display. Many precious artifacts are on display, such as the 200-year-old table of Nguyen Du Poet, Statue of Tran Nhan Tong, and the table and chairs on which President Ho Chi Minh had a talk with Bao Dai Emperor in 1946. The Vietnam Literature Museum is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. The facility, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. The Vietnam Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of the formation and development of Vietnamese literature. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The three-storey museum, covering an area of 3,000 square metres and built at a cost of almost 50 billion VND (2.3 million USD), is filled with spaces to organise events and exhibition areas. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor is dedicated to introduce members of the Vietnamese literary group from the early 20th century. These include Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. The third floor is dedicated to present writers winning the State Prize on literacy and fine art. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The 3,000sq.m area is housed in a three-storey building. The first floor has typical works representing literature from the 10th to the 19th centuries. The works were written on various materials such as giay do (poonah) paper, cloth, metal and leaves. There are also works by great writers of the feudal period such as King Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), Nguyen Trai (1380-1442) and Nguyen Du (1766-1820). Nguyen Du's epic poem entitled Truyen Kieu (The Tale of Kieu) is on display, along with some of its foreign language translations. The second floor features the works of writers of the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau (1867-1940), Tan Da (1889-1939) and Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969). (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The second floor also features writers who received the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Literature and Arts – the highest national prize of its kind – such as Phan Tu (1930-95), Nguyen Quang Sang (1932-2014) and Nguyen Khai (1930-2008). The third floor is reserved for writers of the anti-French revolutionary period (1945-54). Besides displaying draft outlines by the writers, and their tools, photos, recorded voices and statues, the museum allows visitors to use modern computer software to search for more information. Poet Huu Thinh, chairman of the Viet Nam Writers’ Association and director of the museum, said, "The museum is a place to recognise the efforts of great writers in writing their works and their creative ways. During the 10-year period when the museum was being constructed, we received untold contributions of objects and materials on great writers. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Poet Huu Thinh, chairman of the Viet Nam Writers' Association and director of the museum, said the museum possessed more than 40,000 objects and materials on 1,000 writers of the country, though the limited exhibition space allowed the display of only about 3,500 objects and materials. In the past few years, the area has hosted various workshops on literature and international exchanges in the field. Initiatives were taken in 1995 to begin building the museum, but for a variety of reasons, its construction did not begin till 2004, Nguyen Thanh Minh, deputy director of the museum, said. The museum is located at No. 275, Au Co Street, Ha Noi. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The country’s literature from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor is dedicated to introduce figures of the Vietnamese literary group from the early 20th century. These include Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. Museum of Vietnam Literature is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. The Vietnam Literature Museum, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. The Vietnam Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of development of Vietnamese literature. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The Vietnam Literature Museum officially opened in Hanoi on June 26, 2015. The three-storey museum, covering an area of 3,000 square metres and built at a cost of almost 50 billion VND (2.3 million USD), is filled with spaces to organise events and exhibition areas. Among 40,000 collected artifacts and documents, there are 3,454 documents and artifacts chosen to put on display. Precious artifacts include the 200-year-old table of Poet Nguyen Du, Statue of Tran Nhan Tong, the table and chairs on which President Ho Chi Minh had a talk with Bao Dai Emperor in 1946. The Museum of Vietnam Literature is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

A portrait of Nguyen Dinh Chieu and his works. Nguyễn Đình Chiểu (1 July 1822 – 3 July 1888) was a Vietnamese poet who was known for his nationalist and anti-colonial writings against the French colonialism of Indochina, the European name for the southern part of Vietnam. He was the best known as an opponent of the collaboration in the south of Vietnam and was regarded as the poet laureate of the southerners who continued to defy the Treaty of Saigon which ceded southern Vietnam to France. He disobeyed the royal orders of Emperor Tự Đức to continue harassing the French forces. His epic poem, Lục Vân Tiên, remains one of the most celebrated works in Vietnamese literature. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The statue of King Tran Nhan Tong dating from the 13th century brought from Tieu Sai pagoda (now Bao An pagoda, Gia Lam, Hanoi). Trần Nhân Tông (7 December 1258–16 December 1308), personal name Trần Khâm, temple name Nhân Tông. He was the third monarch of the Trần dynasty, reigning over Đại Việt from 1278 to 1293. After ceding the throne to his son Trần Anh Tông, Nhân Tông held the title Retired Emperor (Vietnamese: Thái thượng hoàng) from 1294 to his death in 1308. During the second and third Mongol invasions of Đại Việt, the Emperor Nhân Tông and his father the Retired Emperor Thánh Tông were credited with the decisive victory against the Yuan dynasty and would thenceforth establish a long period of peace and prosperity for the country. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of development of Vietnam literature. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor is to introduce figures of the Vietnamese literary group in the early 20th century. These include Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. Museum of Vietnam Literature is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. Vietnam Museum of Literature, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The works were written on various materials such as giay do (poonah) paper, cloth, metal and leaves. There are also works by great writers of the feudal period such as King Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), Nguyen Trai (1380-1442) and Nguyen Du (1766-1820). Nguyen Du's epic poem entitled Truyen Kieu (The Tale of Kieu) is on display, along with some of its foreign language translations. The second floor features the works of writers of the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau (1867-1940), Tan Da (1889-1939) and Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969). The second floor also features noted writers who received the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Literature and Arts – the highest national prize of its kind – such as Phan Tu (1930-95), Nguyen Quang Sang (1932-2014) and Nguyen Khai (1930-2008). The third floor is reserved for writers of the anti-French revolution period (1945-54). Besides displaying draft outlines by the writers, and their tools, photos, recorded voices and statues, the museum allows visitors to use modern computer software to search for more information. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The second floor hosts an exhibition of artifacts and documents about writers who gained Ho Chi Minh Award on Art and Literature. Some of the famous authors include Nam Cao, Te Hanh, and Nguyen Quang Sang. There are exhibitions of celebrities of literature in Vietnam from the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da, and Ho Chi Minh, along with writers of critical realism, revolution and romance. The third floor is a showcase for writers who won the State Award for Literature and Art in the period of revolt against French colonialism, literature Zone V, South Central, and writers in the north and south of Vietnam. There is an exhibition on the Truong Son complex with famous poets such as Hoang Cam, Pham Tien Duat, and information on the Vietnam Congress sessions of the Vietnam Writers’ Association. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The museum also displays sculptures of famous writers and poets. The Vietnam Literature Museum officially opened in Hanoi on June 26, 2015. The three-storey museum, covers an area of 3,000 square metres and was built at a cost of almost 50 billion VND (2.3 million USD). It features spaces to organise events and exhibition areas. The country’s literacy from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different materials such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor is dedicated to introducing figures of the Vietnamese literary movement in the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Visitors to the museum can take in a lively documentary about the history of Vietnamese literature. The Vietnam Museum of Literature, under the Vietnam Writers Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. The Vietnam Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of development of Vietnam literature. The museum has three floors. The first floor is dedicated to the exhibition of artifacts and documents on Vietnam literature in ancient and medieval periods. At the central area, there is a stone in a symbolic pen shape brought from Hung Temple with meaningful words of the great poet Nguyen Du. There is an exhibition of artifacts on Vietnamese literature from 10th century to the end of 19th century, as well as the history of written characters of Vietnamese on the mediums of paper, cloth, metal, and leaves. This is one of the most valuable museums in Vietnam in terms of culture and literature. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

From scenes in famous works reconstructed to the precious artifacts of writers and poets. The Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of the development of Vietnam literature. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor introduces figures of the Vietnamese literary movement in the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. The Museum of Vietnam Literature is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. The Vietnam Museum of Literature, under the Vietnam Writers Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Uncle Ho's table and chairs used to receive King Bao Dai in 1946. Bao Dai, original name Nguyen Vinh Thuy, (born Oct. 22, 1913, Vietnam—died Aug. 1, 1997, in Paris, France), the last reigning emperor of Vietnam (1926–45). The son of Emperor Khai Dinh, a vassal of the French colonial regime, and a concubine of peasant ancestry, Nguyen Vinh Thuy was educated in France and spent little of his youth in his homeland. He succeeded to the throne in 1926 and assumed the title Bao Dai (“Keeper of Greatness”). He initially sought to reform and modernize Vietnam but was unable to win French cooperation. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Not only displaying precious artifacts, the museum also has a computer system installed with automatic touch screens that introduces digital artifacts when visitors enter the museum. These include films that introduce literature from Vietnam in ancient times. The Vietnam Literature Museum, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. The Vietnam Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of the development of Vietnamese literature. The museum has three floors. The first floor is dedicated to the exhibition of artifacts and documents of Vietnamese literature in ancient and medieval periods. At the central area, there is a stone in a symbolic pen shape brought from the Hung Temple with meaningful words of the great poet Nguyen Du. There is an exhibition of artifacts of Vietnamese literature from 10th century to the end of 19th century, as well as the history of written characters of Vietnam on mediums such as paper, cloth, metal, and leaves. This is one of the most valuable museums in Vietnam in terms of culture and literature. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The Vietnam Literature Museum, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. The Vietnam Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of the development of Vietnamese literature. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different materials such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor introduces figures of the Vietnamese literature in the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. The Vietnam Literature Museum is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of the development of Vietnamese literature. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor introduces figures of Vietnamese literature in the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. Museum of Vietnam Literature is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. Vietnam Literature Museum, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The statue of poet To Huu. whose birth name was Nguyen Kim Thanh and an alias of Lanh, was born on October 4, 1920 in a family with a revolutionary tradition in Quang Tho commune, Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province. He was a great poet who inspired and lead Vietnamese revolutionary literature. In To Huu, there is harmony between the revolutionary life and the poetic life. To Huu poems are new, modern, conveying great feelings of Vietnamese people in the development history of Viet Nam’s Party and nation. He was also an active politician, an elite leader of Viet Nam’s Communist Party in ideology and culture and made a great contribution to the revolutionary war for national construction and development. He also took important positions in Viet Nam’s political system. He was awarded by Viet Nam’s Party and Government with the Gold Star Medal, 60-year Communist Party Membership Badge, Ho Chi Minh Prize in Literature and Arts. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The third floor is a showcase for writers that won the State Award in Literature and Art in the period of revolution against French colonialism, literature Zone V, South Central, and writers in the north and south of Vietnam. There is an exhibition of the Truong Son complex with famous poets as Hoang Cam, Pham Tien Duat, and information on the Vietnam Congress sessions of Vietnam Writers’ Association. The Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of the development of Vietnamese literature. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor introduces figures of Vietnamese literature in the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Many contemporary writers and poets are honored and there is a corner to display their work at this museum. The Vietnam Literature Museum officially opened in Hanoi on June 26, 2015. The three-storey museum, covering an area of 3,000 square metres and built at a cost of almost 50 billion VND (2.3 million USD), features spaces to organise events and exhibition areas. Among 40,000 collected artifacts and documents, there are 3,454 documents and artifacts chosen for display. Some precious artifacts include the 200-year-old table of Nguyen Du Poet, the Statue of Tran Nhan Tong, the table and chairs on which President Ho Chi Minh had a talk with Bao Dai Emperor in 1946, and many valuable artifacts. The Museum of Vietnamese Literature is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

With a unique cultural space, containing many valuable historical documents, the Vietnam Literature Museum is definitely an attractive destination for people who love literature and poetry and for visitors who have the opportunity to come to discover the land of thousand years of civilization. The Literature Museum functions to collect, restore, research, exhibit, introduce cultural heritages, and reflect the process of the development of Vietnamese literature. The country’s literary works from the 10th to 19th centuries and the history of the Vietnamese scripts on different mediums such as paper, fabric, metal and leaves are on display on the first floor. The second floor introduces figures of Vietnamese literature in the early 20th century such as Phan Boi Chau, Tan Da and Ho Chi Minh, as well as winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize on literacy. The Vietnam Literature Museum is open from 8:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and 14:00 - 16:30 in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays. The Vietnamese Museum of Literature, under the Vietnam Writers’ Association, was approved to be built by the Prime Minister in 2011. (Photo: Vietnamplus)