The Hanoi Museum cost a total of VND2.3 trillion (USD109.5 million) but has failed to attract many visitors after more than two years.
Hanoi Museum
Taking up 50,000-square metres of space, the museum was among the capital city’s key projects to celebrate the 1,000th Anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in October 2010.
However many visitors to the museum voiced disappointment over the exhibits, which they said were not well-curated and failed to capture the spirit of Hanoi's culture.
Currently many display cases remain empty and multi-media exhibits are out of order, leaving the museum itself almost empty on many days.
Some newspapers have also reported on the quickly-deteriorating state of the premises, which started to show signs of water leakage, peeling paint and structural problems after less than one year.
Municipal authorities have approved VND775 billion (USD37.25 million) renovation to the museum. The funds are to come from the municipal budget.
Hoa Binh (Peace) Park, widely considered as the most modern in Hanoi, is in a similar situation. Being inaugurated on October 8, 2010 to mark the 1,000 year anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, the VND280-billion (USD13.3 million) park has remained largely deserted.
