Da Nang Museums and Art Galleries

(Da Nang, Vietnam)

One of the finest and most famous Vietnamese museums is right here in Da Nang. The Museum of Cham Sculpture celebrates an ancient culture famed for its sculptural talents. A magnificent range of images gathered from ancient My Son city and dating from the first to the 14th century are displayed here.

A lesser-known group of buildings, scattered on the outskirts of town, are five community houses containing the history of the diverse peoples in each area - truly living museums to the present-day communities, as well as to the past. The Da Nang History Museum is also well worth a look, offering a taster of the city's eventful heritage.

Museum of Cham Sculpture

Tel: +84 0511 347 114
Address: 1 D Trung Nu Vuong, Da Nang, Vietnam, VN
The Museum of Cham Sculpture (Bao Tang Dieu Khac Cham Da Nang) is one of Vietnam's most significant of its kind and the world's only museum documenting this early period in the region's history, with many artefacts relating to the indigenous Cham people of Vietnam. The collection mostly depicts Hindu deities in animal form, as well as the Hindu trilogy of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. This attraction was founded in 1915 and contains over 300 individual pieces, as well as some more contemporary exhibits displayed in the rear annex, an addition in 2002.
Open hours: daily - 07:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Community Houses

Address: Da Nang, Vietnam, VN
Da Nang's five 'communal houses' represent the history and heritage of the various villages and ethnic sub-groups who traditionally lived in the districts which now make up the city. The complexes include ancestor houses with commemorative tablets, pagodas and relics of visits by Vietnamese royalty. These sites are now considered to be national historic relics, whilst also serving as living museums to the city's inhabitants:

• Bo Ban Communal House, in the nearby Bo Ban Village (Hoa Vang District)
• Hai Chau Communal House, on D Phan Chu Trinh Street (Hai Chau District)
• Nai Nam Communal House, at the Nam Son Block (Hoa Cuong Ward)
• Qua Giang Communal House, within the city's Qua Giang Hamlet (Hoa Phuoc Ward)
• Tuy Loan Communal House, at the suburb village of Tuy Loan Village (Hoa Vang District)

Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Fifth Military Division Museum

Address: 1 D Due Tan, Da Nang, Vietnam, VN
Tel: +84 0511 624 014
The city's Fifth Military Division Museum displays tanks, aircraft, armoured personnel carriers, weapons, cannons and other similar military themed material. All of the exhibits shown here relate to the city's struggles for independence during the French and American wars. In particular, look out for the A-37 Dragonfly light-attack aircraft, the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog observation aircraft, and the M48 Patton gun tank.
Open hours: daily - 07:30 to 11:00, 13:30 to 16:00
Admission: charge

Da Nang History Museum

Address: D Le Duan, Da Nang, Vietnam, VN
Set in a pretty garden, the city's History Museum displays an assortment of traditional artefacts relating to the long and interesting heritage of the city, including its past French and American wars. Legends, folk songs, heroic acts of local bravery and stories of everyday life give visitors a glimpse into the people and events which make up this bustling city of today.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Ho Chi Minh Museum

Address: 3 D Nguyen Van Troi, Da Nang, Vietnam, VN
Tel: +84 0511 624 014
Set within spreading grounds, the impressive Ho Chi Minh Museum has a fine collection of traditional artefacts, as well as a great deal of information about the long centuries of habitation in the region. Outside are more military relics from China, Russia and the USA. Of special interest inside are local legends translated into reasonable English. There is also a replica of Ho Chi Minh's Hanoi home, which is situated just behind the main buildings.
Open hours: daily - 07:00 to 11:00, 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free

Le Ba Dang Art Gallery

Address: 15 Le Loi, Hue, Vietnam, VN
Tel: +84 543 837 411
Opened as recently as 2006 and functioning as a museum of the arts, this gallery is a showcase for famous Vietnamese artist Le Ba Dang and displays many of his works brought back to Vietnam from Paris, where he studied and worked. The Le Ba Dang Art Gallery is located in the historic city of Hue, which is a comfortable journey away from the city of Den Nang, lying to the north and being reachable in just over 90 minutes.
Open hours: daily - 07:30 to 19:30
Admission: free