(VOVworld)- The Vietnam War Remnant Museum is one of the 25 best attractive museums in Asia, according to the prestigious travel site Trip Advisor. The museum is a popular destination for travelers who want to discover Vietnam’s history.

Located at 28 Vo Van Tan street, Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam War Remnant Museum was previously an electronics maintenance center for the US army and the former Sai Gon regime. On September 4, 1975, Ho Chi Minh City turned the center into an exhibition of US crimes, 20 years later, it changed into the Museum of War Remnants which has collected and preserved photos and other items related to recent wars in Vietnam. The museum shows the Vietnamese people’s glorious victories during the national struggles for independence. Huynh Ngoc Van, Director of the Museum says the museum has more than 20,000 documents, objects, and video clips: “Launched on September 4, 1975, the exhibition house was then very small and old. In 2002, State and Ho Chi Minh city authorities upgraded it to a museum and now it has been modernized. By diversifying its activities and exhibits, the museum has attracted a lot of visitors. Last year, the museum received more than 700,000 visitors and on average it welcomed 200 visitors a day, most of them foreigners”.

The War Remnant Museum was built using a special architectural design. The inside space is large, facilitating the exhibits, while the museum’s walls are thick preventing sunlight from damaging the pictures. The museum features valuable exhibits about the Southwest border war and the border war in the north. An exhibit called “Vintage” records memories of the war, of sacrifices and losses that touch the heart of every visitor. Nguyet Suong is a museum curator: “This collection was designed by a British and a German author. In this collection, there are two photos that make visitors better understand the US war in Vietnam. The Americans brought modern equipment, warplanes and troops to Vietnam while the Vietnamese army had only rudimentary weapons. Photos and images in this exhibit show that though the Vietnamese army had only rudimentary weapons, they won”.

In addition to the main exhibit hall, there are two exhibits of prison cells,  which measure 3.2 square meters and 1.8 m high, which were used to jail dozens of political prisoners. There is a guillotine made in France. During the Ngo Dinh Diem regime, it was used to execute many communist soldiers. This exhibit teaches visitors about the sacrifices and bravery of staunch revolutionary soldiers. Ms Suong says: “This cell, or Tiger cage is one of 120 cells that the Museum has restored. This cell was not to keep a tiger in. It was a special cell that the US and Saigon regime used to detain Vietnamese patriots”.

The War Remnant Museum is one of 10 popular destinations in the program “100 interesting things about Ho Chi Minh City” and the only museum in Vietnam that was listed among the 60 museums for peace by UNESCO.Tara, a tourist from Japan, says: "After visiting the war museum, I learned that the war left heavy consequences on Vietnamese people, especially victims affected by Agent Orange. I don't know what to say after reading the materials and seeing the photos in the museum. All visitors seem silent when seeing the documents stored in the museum"

The war is over and the Vietnamese people are striving to build the country. The War Remnant Museum is a place that reminds people of the significance of a peaceful life and encourages them to move forward to a brighter future.