Nha Rong Wharf is a famous historical place where Ho Chi Minh went abroad to find the method to help Vietnam get independence.
Ben Nha Rong becomes the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Saigon that displays artifacts and documents related to Uncle Ho. It is one of the well-known destinations for tourists to learn more about the history of Vietnam.
Ben Nha Rong
- Address: 1 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Ward 12, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Opening hours: 7:30 am – 11:30 am and 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm from Tuesday to Sunday
- Entrance fee: 2,000 VND/ticket
- Phone: 028 3940 2060
- Website: http://baotanghochiminh-nr.vn
- Its other names: Bến Nhà Rồng in Vietnamese, Dragon Wharf in English, Ho Chi Minh Museum.
If you come there in the late afternoon, you can see the sunset. That is a great time.
The short history of Ben Nha Rong
Uncle Ho left Nha Rong Wharf on the Saigon River in 1911 to go abroad to find a way to save the country. So, this wharf becomes a famous place where many Vietnamese generations come to understand and appreciate the values of patriotism and the resilient revolutionary spirit of President Ho Chi Minh.
The Dragon Wharf was originally a wide trading port in Saigon, built in 1864 on the Saigon River. It was called Nha Rong Wharf because there was a building with Western architecture, but on the top were two dragons.
This building is also the first project built by the French after capturing Saigon. The Government of South Vietnam renovated the roof of the house and replaced the two old dragons into new ones with a turning back after 1955. Since then, the architecture of this place has been almost unchanged.
From 1975 to present, the headquarters of the Nha Rong commercial port was rebuilt by the Vietnamese government to become the Ho Chi Minh memorial. Until 1995, this relic area continued to be repaired and changed to Ho Chi Minh Museum. This site displays artifacts about President Ho Chi Minh with the topic “President Ho Chi Minh’s feelings for the South and the feelings of the South people towards the Uncle Ho”.
What to see in Nha Rong Wharf
Nha Rong Wharf is now the Ho Chi Minh Museum – one of the branches in the system of museums and monuments of Ho Chi Minh in the whole country.
Initially, this place had 03 exhibition rooms of area 250m2. After two times of revision (1990, 1995), there are 09 rooms with 1482.62 m2; 02 storage rooms with 10,927 documents and exhibits, and 450 exhibits on display outdoors.
In the current 09 rooms, there are 06 places on fixed subjects, including documents, artifacts, images related to President Ho Chi Minh’s biography, and revolutionary career. The topics of some exhibition rooms are as follows:
- Topic 1: The childhood and youth of President Ho Chi Minh, Initial patriotic and revolutionary activities, President Ho Chi Minh studied Mac – Leninism, and affirmed the revolutionary path of Vietnam (1890-1920).
- Topic 2: President Ho Chi Minh creatively applied the way of V.I Lenin on matters of ethnicity and colonialism. President Ho Chi Minh founded the political party of the Vietnamese working class (1920-1930).
- Topic 3: President Ho Chi Minh organized and led the August Revolution to victory and founded the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He supported the people to maintain the revolutionary government and guide the resistance against the French invaders (1930-1954).
- Topic 4: President Ho Chi Minh led the socialist revolution in the north and fought against American aggression to liberated the South to unite the country (1954-1969).
- Topic 5: The Vietnamese people follow President Ho Chi Minh’s will to liberate the South and make the country become reunified. Continue building Vietnam to have peace, union, independence, richness, and power (1969 to present).
The 03 specialized topical rooms are for news and information to meet the requirements of political propaganda in recent times.
Since 1995, the organization has organized 20 specific exhibitions at the museum, and 16 mobile exhibits in remote areas and suburban districts.
All galleries after the revision are upgraded both in content and form, combining many displaying elements to create interests for viewers.
In addition to the main activities, Dragon Wharf also conducts educational activities, such as organizing scientific conferences, intergenerational talks, and talks about President Ho Chi Minh.
For the room displaying images and relics about Uncle Ho’s feelings to the South people, and their love for him, there are always full of emotions. Through the photos, the letters, and the gifts that Uncle Ho sent to the people of the South, as well as the gifts from the South people to him show the infinite love. Most visitors come here, and no one can control their emotions.
Notes on visiting Ho Chi Minh Museum in Nha Rong Wharf
Ben Nha Rong is a famous historical place, and there are many valuable artifacts on display, so you should pay attention to the following points:
- Do not touch the exhibits on display,
- Be quiet when visiting the museum,
- Limitations and precautions when filming, taking photos in museums,
- When entering the museum gate, you should send backpacks and bags to facilitate the visit of the museum,
Nha Rong Wharf is a famous tourist destination in HCMC because of its history and ancient architecture. Typically, this site is associated with the path of national liberation that President Ho Chi Minh chose. It can be said that Dragon Wharf is a hallmark of Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnamese history in general. This place has both value of ancient architecture and history to remember the great work of Uncle Ho.