"The Vietnamese capital has a trove of cultural institutions that shine a light on the influences and events that have shaped the country. The Vietnam Fine Arts Museum is the country’s top art establishment, housed in a stately colonial building that was once a Catholic girls’ boardinghouse. Today its displays include contemporary, historic, and prehistoric works. Its collection of lacquer pieces is especially noteworthy, while its single most famous artwork is a bodhisattva said to have 1,000 eyes and 1,000 arms."