The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City was formerly called the The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government. The name has changed but the tenor remains the same. Broadly speaking, the first floor commemorates all of the people who protested the US presence in Vietnam, with special emphasis on acts of self-immolation, and some remarkable notes of apology from American servicemen. The second floor is dedicated to American atrocities generally, with a whole gallery focusing on Agent Orange effects, and another section on My Lai. The third floor is more about the “puppet” (i.e., South Vietnamese) regime and its lack of legitimacy, although it also houses the excellent Requiem gallery displaying the work of photojournalists from all sides who were killed during the war.

Not my favourite museum. It’s always interesting to see historical events portrayed through a different lens, but such an unbalanced picture is unsatisfying, and perhaps paradoxically is much less effective and altering my world view.