Small flamethrowers, bombs, fighters and other weapons used by the North Vietnamese Army and the US military during the Vietnam War are well-preserved at the Army Museum.
The well-known old building – Flag Tower of Hanoi is situated there as well. The tower is more than 30 meters tall. The top is decorated with carvings. It was the royal tower in the past but is Vietnamese National Cultural Heritage Site at present.
Army Museum – Bảo Tàng Quân Đội is divided into indoor exhibition area and outdoor exhibition area. The indoor exhibition area is composed of several themes exhibitions – “Victory of Dien Bien Phu”, “Dien Bien Phu in the Sky”, and “the Road of Ho Chi Minh”. Visitors can see the sculpture of Ho Chi Minh and daily articles used by Ho Chi Minh, a variety of weapons, etc. In addition, the precious materials of the big and small battles can be found there.
At the outdoor area, there are heavy military weapons such as anti-aircraft guns, artillery, armored vehicles, and tanks. Some are supplied by the former Soviet Union and China, and some are captured from the French and American troops. The most special one is former Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter in the central area of the open space which is placed on the large pile of French-made aircraft wreckage and the scrap iron of the American-made aircraft F111.
The placement symbolizes the fact that the fighter shot down the American fighters in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Observe carefully and you’ll find there are 14 stars on the nose of the fighter, which means the Vietnamese fighters shot down 14 American fighters.