Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
First, we had an adventure at the Art Museum, then a second adventure getting lost, and finally, another adventure getting found (at a craft brewery).
A short walk from the Ben Thanh Market, across half a dozen streets where we practiced our Vietnamese street-crossing skills, led us to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts. We were grateful to have arrived, but then we discovered that this national museum accepts only Vietnamese dong. We hadn’t had a chance to exchange our money yet, but a bank was just half a block away, so I stayed with our backpack while Sherpa went to get dong.
Back with cash in hand, we paid our admission fees—60,000 dong. Or $2.31 USD!
The yellow-and-white buildings of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts were constructed between 1929 and 1934 by the Chinese-born businessman known as Uncle Hoa. Hoa was renowned for his wealth, being one of the four richest men in Vietnam. The buildings served as the family’s residence and place of business. Its architecture showcased French colonial design while attempting to meld elements of Art Deco with local decorative and traditional motifs. They were converted into the Fine Arts Museum in 1987.
With its open corridors and verandas, this elegant building is filled with period details; floor tiles and stained glass windows enhance its overall ambiance. An impressive selection of art, ranging from the 4th century to modern pieces, adorns the walls and halls.
The painting, Central South and North Spring Garden by Nyugen Gia Tri, depicts young women from the northern, central, and southern regions in traditional clothes on their way to the spring festival against a background of trees and pagodas. It is the largest painting by the artist—212 inches by 90 inches—and took 20 years to complete, from 1969-1989.
After we left the Fine Arts Museum, we walked back to the Ben Thanh Market in search of the shuttle bus stop. (Regent had made arrangements with a local transport company to provide a bus from the port to the market, which was a 45-minute bus ride.) This should have been an easy find—our tour guide from this morning’s excursion pointed out the shuttle bus pickup site; however, when we went in search of the shuttle, there was nothing to be seen. No bus, no sign, no shuttle assistants.
After asking several people for assistance—we had a paper map with the shuttle bus location marked with a star, but no address— we were directed to head in the opposite direction. So we walked in circles for about an hour. Typically, this wouldn’t have been so terrible; we would have simply kept looking, but the evening rush hour traffic was increasing, we had to cross multiple streets with their dodge-’em traffic patterns, and it was still hot and humid. We’d been on the go since 10 AM, and we were both getting weary.
Finally, we changed course. Earlier, we had decided not to attend a Folkloric Music Show in lieu of going to the art museum, but since we knew the address of that venue, we hailed a taxi and were happily delivered to the front door of the Majestic Hotel Saigon. The Folkloric Show was back on our menu!
Every rain cloud has a silver lining, or in our case, every hot and humid walk while lost in HCMC has a craft brewery across the street from our final destination. We arrived at the Majestic 90 minutes before showtime, and although we had originally planned to go to their rooftop bar for a drink and a rest, by chance, I glanced out the lobby window and noticed Pasteur Street Craft Beer across the street. Off we went to revive and imbibe.
Sherpa had a Pasteur Street Session IPA at the Pasteur Street Brewery in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sherpa’s Take: “This craft beer has a medium gold color, moderate carbonation, very refreshing. Crisp and citrus-y. Citrus notes linger on the palate, the hops/citrus flavors are well balanced for a complex taste. As the beer warms, the taste becomes richer and more full bodied. The ambiance in the brewpub added to our enjoyment of this local IPA.” 7/10.
Next post: Folkloric show in Ho Chi Minh City.
I’m still thinking on that 2.31! Seems like a steal for the fun galleries you explored. Thankful you managed to make it out of the hot and humid streets to stumble upon a fun addition to the day!