War Remnants Museum

One of the most valuable and beautiful historical places in Vietnam, The War Remnants Museum were originally known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, focuses on the American War, although it also covers the French-colonial era and battles with China. Outside are armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, explosives, and infantry weaponry from the United States. One section of the grounds is dedicated to the infamous French and South Vietnamese prisons on the islands of Phu Quoc and Con Son. The guillotine, the most famous of French appliances, and the notoriously horrific 'tiger cages' used to imprison war prisoners are among the artifacts.

The ground level of the museum is dedicated to a collection of posters and images depicting international support for the antiwar movement. This fairly cheerful exhibit serves as a counterpoint to the horrors upstairs.

Some of the photographs on display are disturbing, particularly those of enormous devastation caused by US napalm bombs and the horrifying poisonous effects of Agent Orange on Vietnamese residents. Many visitors may require a respite in between displays. The museum also provides a unique opportunity to view some of the experimental weapons employed in the conflict that were once military secrets, such as the flechette, an artillery round loaded with hundreds of tiny darts.

Look for the Requiem Exhibition upstairs. This fascinating collection, compiled by famed war photographer Tim Page, examines the work of photographers murdered on both sides of the fight, and includes pictures by Larry Burrows and Robert Capa.

Location: 28 Vo Van Tan, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City