Ho Chi Minh City aims to become a leading museum center in Southeast Asia

Ho Chi Minh City is striving to establish itself as a professional, modern, and distinctive museum hub, with aspirations to become a leading center in Southeast Asia. The city currently boasts 25 museums, comprising 13 public and 11 private institutions. These museums collectively house over 692,000 artifacts and documents, including 25 national treasures.

During a recent conference, participants submitted 41 papers from scientists, experts, and organizations, contributing to discussions on the development of the city's museum system for the 2026-2030 period. Compared to national averages, Ho Chi Minh City's museums are recognized for their dynamic operations, diversity, and high levels of innovation. They showcase a rich variety of public and private museum types, covering history, culture, art, medicine, war, women, urban life, and Southern Vietnamese society, thereby fostering a unique and influential cultural ecosystem.

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TP.HCM có đầy đủ điều kiện để đi đầu trong xây dựng mô hình bảo tàng hiện đại, thông minh và hội nhập quốc tế; từng bước tiến tới vị thế là trung tâm bảo tàng của khu vực Đông Nam Á trong tương lai.

Museum operations are adapting to preserve and promote cultural heritage amidst integration and digital transformation. Many institutions have adopted new operating models, implemented digital technologies, launched online exhibitions, and introduced multilingual automated guides and 3D/360 virtual tours. These initiatives have shown positive initial results, enhancing visitor experiences and attracting both domestic and international tourists.

Pham Dinh Phong, Deputy Director of the Cultural Heritage Department, noted that Ho Chi Minh City possesses the necessary conditions to pioneer modern, smart, and internationally integrated museum models. He believes the city can gradually achieve the status of a regional museum center in Southeast Asia. Experts like Ma Thanh Cao, former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, emphasized the importance of modernizing display methods with technology and strengthening research on museum artifacts, in collaboration with educational institutions.

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Để các bảo tàng hoạt động hiệu quả hơn, trong thời gian tới, cần chú trọng hiện đại hóa hoạt động trưng bày giới thiệu thông qua các ứng dụng công nghệ hiện đại, đẩy mạnh công tác nghiên cứu khoa học đối với hiện vật bảo tàng, kết nối với các cơ sở đào tạo trong các hoạt động nghiên cứu khoa học và ứng dụng công nghệ