What is July 17th? It’s the traditional day of the Vietnam Military History Museum – a significant milestone in the journey of preserving and promoting the nation’s glorious historical values. Let Kamereo help you delve deeper into the meaning of this day and interesting information about the Vietnam Military History Museum in the article below!
What is July 17th?
Every year, July 17th is the traditional day of the Vietnam Military History Museum. This museum preserves and honors the precious values of the nation’s military history. This day is associated with an important event on July 17, 1956, when the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army issued a decision to establish the Committee for the Construction of the Army Museum – the predecessor of today’s museum.
On December 4, 2002, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 1155/QD-TTg, officially renaming it the Vietnam Military History Museum. Since then, it has become a large-scale cultural and historical center, part of the system of 7 national museums, with over 150,000 valuable artifacts displayed and preserved.
Previously, the museum was located at 28A Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh District. However, since 2019, the Ministry of National Defense has invested in building a new location in Tay Mo and Dai Mo Wards, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. With an area of up to 386,600m², the new building is not only massive in scale but also deeply marked by historical significance and profound cultural value regarding Vietnam’s military traditions.

Experience Visiting the Vietnam Military History Museum
If you are planning to visit the Vietnam Military History Museum, don’t miss the useful information below to have the most complete and memorable trip!
Visitor Information
- Opening hours: 08:00 – 11:30 and 13:00 – 16:30 all days of the week (except Mondays and Fridays).
- Address: Km6+500 Thang Long Avenue, Tay Mo Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi.
- Entrance fee: 40,000 VND/person/visit.
How to Get There
The Vietnam Military History Museum is located in Nam Tu Liem District, only about 10km from the center of Hanoi, which is very convenient for visitors. Below are suggestions for transportation methods to help you easily reach the museum:
- Personal vehicles: If you choose a motorbike or car, the route along Thang Long Avenue is the optimal choice. Estimated travel time is about 30 minutes by motorbike and 20 minutes by car. Parking fees are 3,000 VND/motorbike and 20,000 VND/car.
- By bus: This is a cost-effective and quite convenient option. You can choose one of the bus routes No. 71B, 74, 87, 88, 107, 157, E05, E07, E09. These routes all have stops near the museum’s entrance on Thang Long Avenue.
- Booking a taxi or ride-hailing service: To save time and ensure comfort, booking a ride through apps like Xanh SM, be, Grab is an excellent choice. These apps often have attractive promotions, helping you travel quickly and safely.

Highlights When Visiting
The Vietnam Military History Museum attracts a large number of visitors not only because of its magnificent scale but also due to its unique architecture, modern exhibition space, and priceless collection of artifacts. This will definitely be an unmissable destination when you visit Hanoi.
Most Unique Architecture
The main building of the museum consists of 4 upper floors and 1 ground floor, with a total floor area of up to 64,640m² and a height of 35.8m. The museum’s design is a harmonious blend of modern architectural style with elegant and sophisticated lines, visually and vividly reflecting the flow of history.
Especially, when you come here, visitors will admire the 45m-high Victory Tower – a number with profound meaning, representing the year 1945, a historical milestone when the Vietnamese nation gained independence.

Vivid Exhibition Space
To help visitors clearly visualize the glorious historical periods, the museum has divided the exhibition space into 6 themes corresponding to 6 important milestones:
- Theme 1: Early Nation Building and Defense
- Theme 2: Defending National Independence from 939 to 1858
- Theme 3: Resistance against French Colonialists, Gaining National Independence from 1858 to 1945
- Theme 4: The Resistance War against the French from 1945 to 1954
- Theme 5: The Resistance War against the Americans from 1954 to 1975
- Theme 6: Nation Building and Defense from 1975 to Present
Each artifact is specifically annotated with relevant historical events, making it easy for visitors to learn. Moreover, the museum is equipped with modern information lookup screens, providing a new and in-depth learning experience about battles and historical figures.

Precious Artifact Collections
Coming to the Vietnam Military History Museum, you will have the opportunity to witness priceless historical artifacts firsthand, notably 4 National Treasures:
- MiG-21 Aircraft, Tail Number 4324: A Soviet-made fighter jet from 1965, used by Vietnam during the American bombing campaign in North Vietnam (1965-1968). This MiG-21 has 14 stars, symbolizing the victories of Vietnamese pilots shooting down American aircraft.
- MiG-21 Aircraft, Tail Number 5121: Piloted by Lieutenant General Pham Tuan, who shot down an American B-52 aircraft during the campaign on the night of December 27, 1972, a prominent victory in the war.
- T-54B Tank, Tail Number 843: This tank was part of the formation that participated in the liberation of Hue, Da Nang, and the advance into Saigon, marking the historic event on April 30, 1975, when this tank breached the gate of the Independence Palace.
- Ho Chi Minh Campaign Determination Map: This map was created in April 1975, part of the crucial plan that led to the decisive campaign and victory on April 30, 1975.
In addition, the museum also stores and displays thousands of cultural heritage items related to the military, such as weapons, equipment, documents, images, and artifacts from various wars. If you have the opportunity to visit the capital Hanoi, don’t forget to spend time exploring these historically significant artifacts!

Notes When Visiting
To make your visit to the Vietnam Military History Museum smooth and memorable, please keep these important notes in mind:
- Arrive at the correct opening hours: The museum is closed on Mondays and Fridays, so check the schedule carefully to avoid missing your visit.
- Research the route carefully: Referring to travel routes and traffic conditions beforehand will save you time and ensure the most convenient journey.
- Dress politely: Choosing polite attire not only shows respect for the exhibition space but also contributes to maintaining the solemnity of a place that preserves many valuable historical treasures.
- Comply with museum regulations: Always adhere to the museum’s rules to ensure a complete experience for you and other visitors, and to protect valuable artifacts.

What is July 17th in the World?
Besides its special meaning in Vietnam, July 17th is also widely known worldwide as World Emoji Day. This is an interesting occasion to celebrate the unique and familiar emotional symbols that we often call Emojis.
The reason July 17th was chosen as World Emoji Day stems from an interesting detail on the calendar emoji 📅, which displays July 17th. On this occasion, a series of exciting activities such as awards ceremonies for the most popular emojis, polls for favorite emojis, or games related to emotional symbols will take place vibrantly.

Conclusion
Hopefully, the article above has helped you understand more about what July 17th is in Vietnam and around the world, as well as provided useful information about the Vietnam Military History Museum. This is not just a museum but also a living historical treasure, where you can learn and deeply appreciate the nation’s glorious military traditions. Don’t forget to regularly visit Kamereo’s Festival section to discover more useful knowledge about culture and notable events!
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