Quang Trung Museum is a fascinating museum in a tiny hamlet called Phu Phong in the Tay Son district of Vietnam. It is rarely visited by tourists, but a must-see if you are in the area.
Quang Trung was the second emperor of the Tay Son Dynasty and ruled a unified Vietnam from 1788 to 1792. Although he only stood for a short reign he was well accomplished is his achievements with his most notable success being the victory over the Chinese and re-claiming Hanoi.
The unified Vietnam only came about after the Tay Son brothers, led by Quang Trung, fought to oust the corrupt leaders of the north and south. Once they were driven out, the brothers made steps to reform the country and with built schools and supported an increase of Vietnamese literature.
The museum resides in the house formerly lived in by the Tay Son brothers. It still contains its original well and a tamarind tree said to have been planted by the brothers themselves. There are many sculptures, artifacts and documents all well marked out in English to browse through.
Getting There & Away
The nearest town is Quy Nhon. The easiest way to get here is by taxi or hire car with a good map as it is in the middle of nowhere and hard to find. Phu-Cat Airport is the nearest airport and it has flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The journey from Hanoi to Phu-Cat takes 1 hour, 30 minutes. The bus from Ho Chi Minh takes 10 hours to Quy Nhon. The Reunification express train stops also stops in the city and is a 23 hour journey from Hanoi.