The Ministry of Construction recently landed in hot water for requesting that the central government allocate VND11.3 trillion (US$497,200) for a project to rebuild the Hanoi-based Museum of National History.
The massive amount of funding wouldn’t be such a big deal if the museum weren’t so empty. The venue in the capital’s Hoan Kiem District currently receives a few visitors during the day, most of which are tourists.
The new structure will be based in the West Lake New Urban Area, spanning 10 hectares. Tuoi Tre reports that construction on the project began back in 2014, but progress has been suspended since due to lack of funding.
The decision to build the new Museum of National History was already contentious even when it was approved in 2006, but the ministry’s recent request for funding has ignited criticisms from experts and the public who deemed the project “extremely wasteful.”
Most netizens prefer that the money go into establishing other public amenities such as schools, hospitals and parks rather than a museum that mostly just draws the interests of tourists. Some drew the connection with the Lung Luong Primary School project, which was recently called "a waste" by naysayers. The primary school's cost of VND6 billion, however, now seems like small change when compared with the new museum project.
The current Museum of National History in Hanoi. Photo via Tuoi Tre.
Doctor Ly Tung Hieu, a professor from the HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities, told Tuoi Tre that he understands the reasoning behind the museum project, but agrees that the timing is inappropriate.
“The people can come together to build a museum of national history and agree that investing in [the country’s] culture and history has long-term benefits,” Hieu shared with the new source. “However, when the economy is not doing well and the current museum system is not effective, continuing with such a massive structure is unnecessary.”
In a time when even popular museums with ample foot traffic are struggling to make ends meet, Vietnam’s obsession with mega museum projects is hurting its budget.
Two of the country’s top museums, Hanoi-based Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and Saigon-based Ho Chi Minh Museum, currently receive 500,000 and 1.3 million visitors a year. However, according to the venues’ management board, the revenue is barely enough to cover the cost of operation.
The Museum of Ethnology. Photo via Vietnam-Guide.
The Hanoi Museum, according to a feature by Tuoi Tre, exemplifies one such white elephant that is functioning at a fraction of its capacity.
The structure was opened to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of Vietnam’s capital. It has since fallen into disrepair: the entire second floor is closed while other floors have few artifacts without a clear curatorial direction.
At the moment, it’s still unclear if the central government will give a nod to the Ministry of Construction’s funding request.
The Hanoi Museum. Photo via Tuoi Tre.
