7th Military Zone Museum comprises of Southeastern Armed Forces Museum and Museum of Ho Chi Minh Campaign. While the Museum of Ho Chi Minh Campain is located right in the city center, Southeastern Armed Forces Museum is located near Tan Son Nhat Airport in Tan Binh District, which is about 8 km from the center. The whole artifacts, documents and photos in the museum focus on the process of formation and development of the armed forces of Southeast Vietnam. Every year, the museum welcomes millions of domestic and foreign visitors. Southeastern Armed Forces Museum is one of the Top 12 museums in Ho Chi Minh City and worth a visit.
Table of Contents
General information
Open time: from Monday to Friday, 8:00 – 11:30, 13:00 – 16:30; opened on Saturday and Sunday upon request
Address: 247 Hoang Van Thu Street, Ward 1, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The museum is located about 5 km from Ben Thanh Market and 1.8 km from Tan Son Nhat Airport.
Website: http://btlsqsvn.org.vn
Free entrance
Location
The museum is located at 247 Hoang Van Thu Street, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. It is in the opposite of the headquarters of 7th Military Region (the former ARVN Joint General Staff compound).
History
The buildings of the museum were originally built for the American Community School in Saigon in 1958/9. However, when US dependents were ordered to leave South Vietnam in February 1965, the vacated buildings became available for use by the 3rd Field Hospital. The hospital was conveniently located near to Tan Son Nhut Air Base allowing for the transfer of casualties within South Vietnam and the medical evacuation of casualties to other US hospital facilities in the Pacific. The Southeastern Armed Forces Museum Military Zone 7 was established on 5 February 1988 on the site of the former U.S. 3rd Field Hospital.
Many visitors wonder which are included in the Southeastern area. They are 9 Southeastern provinces and the South Central Coast: Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Binh Duong, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Long An, Lam Dong and Binh Thuan.
Display area
The museum has a total area of 2.5 hectares. The indoor and outdoor display areas house over 17,500 artifacts, documents and photos. The museum is divided into 5 departments: stateroom, 7th Military Zone in Anti-French Resistance War (1945 – 1954), 7th Military Zone in Resistance War against America (1954 – 1975), 7th Military Zone in Resistance War in the development and protection of the nation and international duties (from 1975 until now), outdoor area.
Outdoor display area
Outdoor display area has a green monument of 7th Military Zone including soldiers with weapons, a woman and a part of airplane. The monument was gifted to the museum by the government of Bien Hoa Province on 50th anniversary of People’s Army of Vietnam. In addition, the display area also introduces the weapons that the Southeast army used in the two wars and the weapons that the Southeast army obtained from the French, American and The Republic of Vietnam armies.
Indoor display area
The indoor display area is divided into several rooms: stateroom, 7th Military Zone in Anti-French Resistance War (1945 – 1954), 7th Military Zone in Resistance War against America (1954 – 1975), 7th Military Zone in Resistance War in the development and protection of the nation and international duties (from 1975 until now).
Stateroom
7th Military Zone in Anti-French Resistance War (1945 – 1954)
7th Military Zone in Resistance War
7th Military Zone in Resistance War in the development and protection of the nation and international duties (from 1975 until now)
Read more about Top 12 museums in Ho Chi Minh City