War Remnants Museum (Bảo Tàng Chứng Tích Chiến Tranh)

The War Remnants Museum is one of the most harrowing places in Vietnam — and a must-visit. The museum documents the Vietnam War (called the "American War" by the Vietnamese) from a Vietnamese perspective: Agent Orange, napalm, the Mỹ Lai massacre, the impact on the civilian population. The images and stories are disturbing and get under your skin.

In the outdoor area, there are American tanks, helicopters, and fighter planes. Inside: photographs, documents, reconstructed tiger cage prison cells (where political prisoners were held on Côn Đảo), and a harrowing exhibition on the long-term effects of Agent Orange — the defoliant that still causes deformities in newborns today.

The museum is clearly biased — it shows the Vietnamese side of the story. This does not diminish its impact: the facts, photos, and testimonies speak for themselves. Plan at least 2 hours and be emotionally prepared.