The museum, situated at 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, looks like an aging block of rock itself. Built in 1970, it displays only 3,000 of the 13,000 items it has dating back to millions of years ago.

The museum, situated at 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, looks like an aging block of rock itself.

Each floor of the three-storied building has a different theme: geology, minerals, paleontology, and gems.

In the ground floor, a geological map detailing the richness of Vietnam’s minerals is displayed. It was created in 1988.

Le Quoc Thanh, 50, a curator at the museum, said: "This map was drawn by scientists over many years after years of study. It has clear annotations and is important to those who work on geology."

Thanh said most of the specimens were collected by the French in Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia). Gemstones like quartz, marble, ruby, sapphire, and topaz in many shapes and sizes. There are fossils of animals and plants.

The geological map details the richness of Vietnam’s minerals.

The museum has stone tools made by prehistoric people like axes and knives.

The crude oil samples found in the southern sea in the 1980s have important implications for the country’s energy security. The museum also displays many samples of soil, gems and minerals from other countries. The sample in this picture is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hoa, a museum visitor, said: "My favorites are the fossils and rock samples dating back tens of millions of years. The exhibitions are easy to understand and they help me gain more knowledge about geology."

The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all weekdays, and admission is free.

Hanoi Museum receives more than 800 donated documents, artefacts

The Hanoi Museum received more than 800 documents and artefacts donated by organisations and individuals at a ceremony held on November 22.

Museum at the center of Vietnam’s coffee universe

Trung Nguyen Group has on display thousands of objects related to coffee heritages around the world at its museum in Buon Me Thuot Town.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi in cooperation with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gia Lai province will hold its annual Mid-Autumn Festival themed “Colors of Gia Lai Culture” on September 7 and 8 in the grounds of the museum.

Ho Chi Minh Museum receives two Uncle Ho’s memorabilia

The Ho Chi Minh Museum held a ceremony in Hanoi on August 2 to receive two artefacts from President Ho Chi Minh which have been kept in Vuong Quynh Xuan's family in Ha Giang province for more than five decades.

Vietnamese lacquer work first contemporary Southeast Asian art piece in French museum

A lacquer interpretation of a conical hat by Vietnamese artists and craftspeople is on display at France’s Guimet Museum.

Source: VnExpress