Discover Saigon’s French Colonial Architecture | Top 10 Sites You Might Not Know

Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon

Address: 01 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Phone: 028 3822 0477
Opening hours: 8:00 a.m – 18:00 p.m

This attraction is arguably a representative of the religious influence the French have made on Vietnam during their invasion. The cathedral was built to offer French soldiers a place for performing rituals. Built with bricks, glass and various other materials brought from France, this building has proved durable and has called for little reconstruction since its completion in 1880. Its design was chosen from 18 propositions. The architect J. Bourad was chosen for his style, a mixture of neo-Roman and Gothic. Nowadays, Notre Dame cathedral is considered a must-visit by tourists from domestic and abroad as well. Furthermore, as it is located in the heart of Saigon, the Cathedral is an ideal starting point for a Sai Gon tour. Moreover, the Vincom shopping center and Parkson mall are only a few minutes away on foot, while other attractions such as the Saigon Central post office are nearby, so the Cathedral is a perfect start for a journey around Saigon.

Once inside, the view is even more spectacular. There are 6 columns on each side, which represent the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. Behind them are over 20 altars with small statues of the saints. The main altar is made of pure jade, with carvings of the angels underneath. The wall is decorated with 56 colored glass windows depicting characters and stories in the Bible.

As the biggest one in Saigon, Notre Dame Cathedral can house 1200 people at most.

Saigon Central Post Office

Address: 2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1
Contact: 028 3822 1677
Opening hours: 7:00 a.m -7:00 p.m (Mon-Fri), 8:00 a.m-6:00p.m (weekend)

Outdated as handwritten letters are, they still mean a lot to Saigonese, particularly those over 50. The post office was built by the French in 1860. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, father of the Eiffel Tower, the building instills a feeling of nostalgia in all people who lived through the 20th century. Nowadays, it often acts as a reminder of those days and a perfect background for tourists. However, the busy, energetic atmosphere was preserved. Features such as the information desk can still be found where they were in the previous century.

The main hall consists of a dome-shaped roof and is consistently crowded with travelers as well as small business people. The whole weight of the r ơf is supported with 4 columns only, which allow for more space and apply with ask.What’s more, you can find two big-scale maps of Saigon in 1972 and telephone lines all over Vietnam in 1936. The whole weight of the roof is supported by four columns in the corners

The 38 working desks are ready to answer questions on delivering mails and posts. On the left side, tourists can have a glance at the time-honored phone booths. Also, remember to check out the lovely handmade souvenirs in the remotest areas in the Post Office.

Tran Dai Nghia High school for the Gifted

 Address: 20 Ly Tu Trong  Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

The French also built educational facilities in Saigon. Initially used as a monastery named “Lasan Taberd”, the building was later used for educational purposes. The school consists of four blocks, from A to D, the last one remaining the same and unchanged throughout the years. There are two playgrounds, both with a lot of trees and space for numerous activities. The yellow-painted walls are mostly kept original, while some sections such as the building on the right of the entrance were installed to fit the enormous number of students of roughly 5000. The school is another building that has stood the test of time without calling for too much reconstruction, which illustrates the durability of French materials.

Founded in 1875 by Father Henri De Kerlan, Lasan Taberd was first used to house abandoned children. The old blocks were constructed under the provision of Father Mossard. In 1949, it had 1200 students. In 1975, the school was then transferred to the city’s department of education.

As the entry is restricted to students, parents and school members only, visitors should come during the summer to witness another archetype of French architecture in Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Theatre

Address: 7 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Contact: 0286270 4450

Without previous knowledge of the place, anyone can mistake Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Theatre (Saigon Opera House) place with an opera house in Paris because of its Gothic style. All materials were transported by plane from France and all external and internal features were designed by French architects as well. The high-quality sound and lighting systems provide 1800 viewers with spectacular performances, ranging from plays to Vietnamese cai luong and live shows of modern music.

Constructed in 1900 by the three architects Felix Olivier, Ernest Guichard and Eugene Ferret, the theatre bears striking similarities with its Parisian counterpart Petit Palais. However, many external features were removed in 1943 due to criticism of their being unnecessary and showy between the two world wars. Some of them were later restored, for example, the two statues of Venus on the entrance. This change was made in the event of the city’s 300th birthday in 1998.

Tourists can purchase a ticket for a performance at the ticket counter right next to the building to enjoy professional shows. After that, enjoy your night at other attractions nearby such as the Cathedral, the Reunification Palace or simply wander through the main streets.

Ben Thanh Market

Address: Le Loi Street, District 1
Opening hours: 7:00 a.m- 10:00 p.m

Undoubtedly, this market must be mentioned, since it is the city’s icon. No matter how many luxurious supermarkets you’ve been to, Asian market like Ben Thanh is a must-try. There’s a wide variety to offer: food stalls serving portions made on the spot, vendors selling hand-made souvenirs,  handicrafts, grocery, clothe shop, etc. Vietnamese specialties such as banh xeo, banh cuon, banh beo, cha gio, hu tiu, and when the night comes it is much more exciting. Although most of the stalls inside are closed, sidewalk restaurants are open and attract flows of tourists. The lights, the crowdedness, the noises, the sound of customers bargaining, and so on all contribute to the liveliness of Ben Thanh market. However, if you mind being slightly overcharged, visiting the market early in the morning is suitable, for the sellers believe easy transactions bring about good luck for the whole day. One problem is the presence of pickpockets, so pay attention to your belongings, or better not bring anything valuable or important to the market.

What's interesting is that the French built the market on the grounds of a destroyed riverside market in 1870 and named it Les Halles Centrales, before changing to Ben Thanh in 1912. This attraction has witnessed many ups and downs of the 300-year-old city of Saigon, which makes the market its symbol in most travel guides and publications.

Reunification Palace

Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Contact: 028 3822 3652
Opening hours: 7:30-11:00 a.m, 13:00-16:00 p.m

This palace is of much more historical significance as it marks the independence of Vietnam from both France and the U.S.A. Constructed from 1868-1871 by the French colonizers, this building was used for housing many powerful officials of the colonial government since 1955. During his stay, the Palace witnessed various political fluctuations, including public protests and even bombing, after which the left side of the site was totally destroyed. former President Diem then ordered the reconstruction of the Palace, but could not stay for a single day in his new house for a single day before his demise in 1963. As a result, Nguyen Van Thieu, the second president, became the new owner for the following 12 years. On 30/4/1975, two tanks crashed into the main gate and the exit of the Palace, forcing Nguyen Van Thieu and all members of his Cabinet to surrender. This moment went down in history as one of the greatest and most memorable days of our nation, putting a full stop to the colonization of the Americans.

With an area of 12000 square meters, two third of which is filled with trees, the site’s design bears some resemblance to that of the White House. The site is open for visits on a daily basis, and public holidays are no exception. Tourists can discover the two wars of Vietnam in the 20th centuries through illustrated images and artifacts.

Hotel Majestic Saigon

Address: 1 Dong Khoi, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Contact: 028 3829 5517

Feel tired yet? Maybe it’s time for a comfortable night in the Hotel Majestic Saigon. Built in 1925, the hotel underwent various extensions and turned into a six-storey five-star masterpiece overlooking the Sai Gon River. The fact that this building is already over 90 years old may surprise any tourists, for the luxurious design, the gold adornments, and individual balconies can be mistaken with a classic European hotel. It comprises 175 rooms ( 76 Superiors with a view of the city, 38 Deluxe Pool View and 32 Deluxe River View, 20 Junior Suite and 9 Majestic Suite). Any nostalgic traveller will enjoy the classic decoration inside the rooms. High-quality service provided by professional hoteliers is at your disposal. On the top floor is the Prima Hall- which has a capacity of 250 people for big events and meetings. Right next door is the Blue Saloon A&B, which suits small gatherings perfectly. In case you’re a bit hungry, what the Serenade Restaurant has on its menu definitely will whet your appetite.

The hotel was built by one of the richest men in Saigon- Gia Dinh back then- a man named Hui Bon Hoa, who has his roots in China. Aside from Hotel Majestic, he also patronized the construction of various other buildings, including the Museum of Fine Art, Tu Du hospital, Binh Tay Market, etc. These contributed greatly to the new images of Saigon in the early 1900s.

Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

Address: 97A Pho Duc Chinh Nguyen Thai Binh, District 1
Contact: 028 3829 4441
Opening hours: 8:00 am- 6:00 pm

The museum is set inside a French colonial villa. The first floor exhibits pieces of contemporary arts, while a variety of sketches and pictures depicting the Vietnamese’s resistance against the colonizers can be found on the second floor. Moreover, artifacts from other cultures that made their mark in Vietnamese history, namely Khmer, Cham and India. These are between 1400 and 400 years old. Also noteworthy is the pieces of “combat art”, whose artists experienced battles in real life and reflected what they had witnessed on battlegrounds.

The Museum has encountered numerous obstacles during and after construction, most of which are the all-common problems of museums such as inadequate funding, inefficient and unprofessional staff due to lack of training. In recent years, however, the museum shows big improvements in the diversity as well as the quality of artifacts on demonstration.

This is another building by Hui Bon Hoa, the Chinese-born businessman and also designed by the same French architect as the Hotel Majestic. Near the entrance, visitors cannot fail to notice the wrought iron scroll word “HBH”. Originally used as an office and a house for the owner’s family, the buildings of the museum fell into the hands of the Communist government in 1975 after falling into disuse for approximately 5 years.

Phuong Nam - the 35-million-dollar house

Address: 110-112 Vo Van Tan, District 3

That’s nearly 770 billion VND! With materials brought from Europe, mainly France, this house was constructed in the early 1900s and remains largely undamaged after over a century. Facing 3 of the most crowded streets in the downtown area - Vo Van Tan, Ba Huyen Thanh Quan and Nguyen Thi Dieu, Phuong Nam is expensive not only for the luxurious French style but also its “golden” location. The outside is a mixture of Western architecture and Eastern style while the interior is furnished with luxurious antiques. The house consists of two floors with dozens of large windows to enjoy the view of the city center.

Considered one of the most spectacular and time-honored buildings in Saigon, this house took over a decade to find a suitable and wealthy enough buyer before being purchased at the aforementioned price. The new owner, however, wished to remain anonymous. Rumour has it that the house was bought by a foreign corporation. One concern expressed by the previous owners, Mrs. Dang Kim Chi and Mrs. Nguyen Kim Sa Dang was that the new owner may use the house for economic purposes or may even pull it down, which is a great loss for the whole city. However, to date no damage or change has been made yet. Visitors can look around the outside of Phuong Nam for a small charge. The inside, however, is still a bit of a mystery because entry is not allowed.

Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee

Address: 86 Le Thanh Ton, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Contact: 838296052

It’s pretty easy to guess when the building was constructed, as the Gothic style is clearly expressed. Designed based on the concept of a bell tower by the French architect Femand Gardes, its construction took more than a decade, from 1897 to 1909. It’s also a mixture between Renaissance  French and Italian style.

Initially named Hootel de Ville by the French, the site was turned into the people’s committee of our city after 30/4/1975 when Vietnam was officially independent and united. The building has witnessed many political events such as the protests in 1937 and 1950 when workers demanded for jobs and higher wages and various meetings

The building is symmetric, with the bell tower as the base line and our nation’s flag on its top. Furthermore, a carving of a woman and two children fighting a lot of carnivores. Right in front of the building is a statue of Uncle Ho, our beloved leader. At night, especially on during we ekends and holidays, hundreds of Saigonese would go skating, dancing or simply walking in the special area for entertainment in front of the committee. Also at this time of the day, the beauty of the building is completely revealed. One drawback of this site, however, is that entry is restricted to officials, so you won’t be able to discover the interior.