While I confess I’m in the Minchin school when it comes to ‘alternative’ medicine, the Fito Museum of traditional Vietnamese medicine is worth a trip away from the centre. Set over four floors of an old house in District 10, it displays aspects of the history of the practice using a few interactive exhibits and a lot of pretty pictures, engravings and carvings.
The story we were told is that the ‘doctor’ would take the pulse of the patient and based on that would prescribe a tea made of ground up plants, minerals or exotic animals. The only tale of efficacy we heard was of an impotent king who invited a doctor to live in his court and treat him. Thanks to the live-in medico, the queen then had 10 children (who, of course, looked nothing like the doctor).
The top floor has a nice if small rooftop garden, a collection of rare books on the local potions and a replica mini temple to the Hindu Linga-Yoni belief. There are also carvings of portraits of important doctors. The next floor has a huge array of the powders used to make teas, including some bits of tigers and deer and some definite poisons! There are also grinders for use by hand or foot which you can play with, and doctor costumes you can dress up in to have a play.
On the next floor, there are displays of the pots, bottles and cups used to store, transport and use the potions, while on the ground floor you’ll get to try the tea of the day and choose whether you want to buy any of the products. Our tea was artichoke- I would have preferred pineapple or ginger , but at least it wasn’t mushroom.
To be honest, the charm of this museum lies not in its contents, but in its design. The whole place is beautiful. There is lots of lovely carved wood with mother of pearl inlay, engraved metal panels, and old paintings. It might be a little out of the way, but I definitely recommend making the journey, even if it needs a cab. 50k VND to enter, including all the artichoke tea you can drink. Open every day between 8.30 and 5.
Address: 41 Hoang Du Khuong, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
Telephone: 0084838642430
Website: http://www.fitomuseum.com.vn
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