According to Binh, the museum needs renovation of all internal and external facilities.
"Surveys carried out in 2021 showed that the museum had cracks on walls and ceilings while the floors and yards were subsiding," he said. "The fences were also leaning. However, the facilities haven't been repaired due to a lack of funds. Only the building facing Nguyen Thai Binh Street was repaintied late last year.
There are cracks on the walls
Located in District 1, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts was built in 1929 with three buildings on an area of 3,500 square metres. The buildings used to be the residence of the family of a Chinese businessman, Hui Bon Hoa (1845 -1901).
The buildings were built with a combination of western and eastern architecture style. It was also the first place in HCM City to have a lift.
In 1987, the buildings became the premises of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts which officially opened to visitors in 1992. At present, the museum exhibits over 21,000 items, attracting over 200,000 visitors a year. It was recognised as a cultural and historical site in 2012 and is among 31 historical sites to be renovated by 2025.