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Before being named after Uncle Ho, Saigon was a city deeply marked by the French colonial exploitation during its time in Indochina. Several architectural landmarks from the French colonial period in Saigon still exist today.
Representative architectural works of Saigon from the French colonial period
Central Saigon Post Office
The central post office is one of the most famous architectural landmarks in Saigon. The structure boasts high aesthetic value, blending European and Asian architectural styles. As you step through the main gate, you'll notice a giant clock hanging with the construction years “1886 – 1891” underneath. Above the international telephone booths, you can see two large maps. On the wall at the end of the hall hangs a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, the great leader of the nation.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral is a stunning Gothic architectural masterpiece located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Adorned with a statue of Virgin Mary and columns adorned with stained glass paintings, the interior of the cathedral is spacious, lofty, and beautiful. It is one of the city's famous tourist attractions, offering visitors the opportunity to learn about the history, culture, and architecture of the city.
Continental Hotel Saigon is a historic hotel located on Dong Khoi Street. With a history of over 140 years, this hotel is an important historical landmark of Saigon. The Continental Hotel offers luxurious and well-equipped rooms, as well as amenities such as restaurants, gymnasiums, and conference centers. Additionally, the hotel features the Gallery Continental to exhibit works by Vietnamese artists. It is an ideal destination for tourists visiting Saigon to explore its history and culture.
City Theater
Ho Chi Minh City Theater was built in 1897 and opened in 1900, becoming a venue for cultural, artistic, and entertainment events. The theater features classical French architecture with beautiful decorative details, accommodating up to 1,800 seats, making it one of the largest and most beautiful theaters in Southeast Asia. It is often chosen to host music performances, dramas, conferences, exhibitions, and more.
Ho Chi Minh City Museum
Ho Chi Minh City Museum is a Saigon architectural landmark primarily focused on exhibiting and preserving the historical, cultural, and artistic artifacts of Ho Chi Minh City. The museum houses approximately 300,000 documents, artifacts, images, and materials. Its collections cover themes such as the city's development history, national culture, architecture, and contemporary art.
Vietnam History Museum – Ho Chi Minh City
The Vietnam History Museum showcases artifacts, materials, and images related to the country's history from prehistoric times to the establishment of the Communist Party. Established in 1979, the museum is built in a modern architectural style with 18 exhibition rooms housing over 40,000 documents, artifacts, images, texts, and maps.
Through the exhibition rooms, visitors can learn about the history of Vietnamese feudal dynasties, wars in Vietnam, the resistance wars against France and the United States, the August Revolution, the first National People's Congress, the October Revolution in Russia, the country's reform and integration process in recent years, and more...
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market is a place for trading and exchanging goods with nearly 6,000 vendors and about 1,500 stalls. Ben Thanh Market has 4 main gates facing 4 streets and 12 side gates opening in 4 directions. Each main gate offers a variety of common items for visitors to enjoy on-site dining. It is one of the architectural landmarks of Saigon remaining from the French colonial period, becoming a symbol of the city.
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts is dedicated to visual arts, established in 1987. It showcases and preserves numerous works by Vietnamese and international painters, sculptors, and photographers, introducing the public to a diverse range of artistic creations. The museum is divided into several exhibition rooms featuring artworks ranging from medieval to contemporary, diverse in genre, style, and medium.
Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Headquarters
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Headquarters, built from 1898 to 1909 and designed by architect Femand Gardès, with initial decoration by painter-sculptor Ruffier. The structure is designed in the form of a high bell tower - a common architectural style in Northern France. The vertical facade design blends various European architectural styles such as Renaissance architecture, Baroque and Rococo relief decoration, and Art Nouveau ironwork. In 2020, the headquarters was classified as a National Monument and has become a destination for many tourists.
Independence Palace
Independence Palace, also known as Reunification Palace, is a historic landmark designed as the residence and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the resistance against the United States. Today, the palace is used as a museum for visitors and event hosting. Visitors can explore the grand halls, meeting rooms, and presidential living quarters, while learning about the palace's history through exhibitions, artifacts, and multimedia presentations.
Saigon Saint Joseph Seminary
Saigon Saint Joseph Seminary is a Saigon architectural landmark dating back to the French colonial era, built in 1863 by priests Wilbaux and the Paris Foreign Missions Society. Formerly, it was a large complex comprising the seminary, Saint Paul's Church, Saint Paul's Seminary, chapels, convents, etc., renovated lastly in 1960. After 1975, most of the land of Saint Paul's convent was divided into various other agencies.
Chi Hoa Prison (Chi Hoa Detention Camp)
Spanning 7 hectares, Chi Hoa Prison, 3 stories high with 238 rooms, including two rows of houses for female prisoners. This place once detained political prisoners during the resistance against the French. Today, it is where Ho Chi Minh City Police detain suspects. Chi Hoa Prison was designed by a Japanese architect following the theory of the five elements, eight trigrams, considered a special architectural work for combining the basic characteristics of French architecture: solidity, discretion, coolness, and the mystique of the Orient.
City Court
The headquarters of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court was built from 1881 to 1885, designed by French architect Bourard. The building was initially constructed in an H-shape, combining European and Roman architecture. From the gate, there are four clusters of parks on both sides of the courtyard, leading straight to the main entrance is a large lobby separating two courtrooms.
Two statues of the goddesses of Justice and Unity are arranged on either side of the staircase leading to the second floor. In addition to the statues, there are many reliefs and decorative patterns on the walls and ceilings. In 1961, when the building did not have enough space to accommodate trials, the authorities at that time built additional houses behind.
Source: Mytour
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourMarch 14, 2023
