Ho Chi Minh City museums attract over 4.4mn visitors in 2025

During the conference, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports reviewed its work in 2025 and outlined key tasks for 2026.

Deputy director of the department Vo Trong Nam highlighted notable achievements in museum and heritage activities.

In 2025, the department successfully organized a city-wide cultural heritage conference.

The city currently has seven out of nine museums ranked at Grade 1 level, preserving 23 national treasures.

The city is seeking the recognition of two additional national treasures.

The non-public museum system comprises 12 museums, attracting around 85,000 visitors during the year.

Ho Chi Minh City houses 226 buildings and sites listed in its heritage inventory.

In 2025, two rounds of decisions on heritage ranking were issued, resulting in 14 historical and cultural relics being officially classified.

To date, the city has 321 ranked relics, including four special national relics, 99 national relics, and 218 relics at provincial or municipal level.

As for restoration and conservation efforts, numerous renovation projects were implemented and completed, with total investment of some VND500 billion (US$19 million), sourced from the state budget and contributions from individuals and firms.

At the event, the representative of the department presented 11 strategic directions and a range of key tasks for the 2026 growth.

Priorities include accelerating digital transformation in museums and heritage sites, launching a cultural heritage conservation fund, and striving to maintain annual museum visitor numbers at around four million.

The city also aims to expand and promote cultural and sports programs, events and festivals to better serve the public, strengthen community-based cultural and sports movements, and improve the efficiency of existing cultural and sports facilities.

Enhanced monitoring and supervision of public information and online discourse are also among the planned measures.

Speaking at the conference, vice-chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy praised the achievements of the culture and sports sector in 2025 and outlined seven key tasks for the coming period.

Among them are boosting international cooperation, organizing cultural and sports events of regional and international scale to reinforce the city’s brand, and improving the quality of performing arts, cinema, fine arts, exhibitions and museum activities.

She also emphasized the importance of promoting cultural and sports diplomacy, enhancing international outreach, and further accelerating digital transformation across culture, information and journalism.

“With a strong sense of responsibility and determination to innovate, I am confident that the city’s culture and sports sector will continue to build on its achievements, overcome challenges, and successfully fulfil its assigned tasks, contributing to the city’s rapid and sustainable development in the new phase,” she said.