Because of her, Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City.
Personally, I think the Independence Palace is the only must-see attraction in Ho Chi Minh City, and you must rent an audio guide. There are many points of interest here, and basically every room has an introduction, and the introduction is very detailed. Basically, it is to introduce the history of Vietnam by looking at the history of the Independence Palace. If you visit carefully, you need half a day, and if you just take a look, about an hour is enough. There is a coffee shop outside the building, and you can come out for a cup of coffee and rest at any time.
✅Building history:
In 1868, French colonists built the official residence of the Governor of Indochina, Norodom Palace, in the core area of Saigon;
In 1954, the Geneva Agreement was signed, and the French ZM withdrew from Vietnam, and the Norodom Palace was renamed the Independence Palace;
In 1962, two pilots attacked the Independence Palace;
In 1966, the new Independence Palace was completed;
In 1975, the Independence Palace was occupied by the Vietnamese Liberation Army, and the West was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, and the Independence Palace was also renamed the Reunification Palace;
✅Design style:
The designer of the Reunification Palace is the famous Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu, who studied in France. Architect Ngo Viet Thu (Ngo VietThu) graduated from the Paris Academy of Fine Arts and won the Grand Prix de Rome. The Reunification Palace uses many local traditional elements under the framework of modernism, as if it is a break from the architectural language of the old era;
The unique "bamboo curtain" decoration on the facade of the building is inspired by the palace in the ancient city of Hue. It provides a variety of visual experiences for viewers inside and outside the building. The "bamboo curtain" not only provides decorative functions, but also, like a real curtain, has the function of blocking direct sunlight.
✅Building layout:
The Reunification Palace covers a total area of 12 hectares, with parks and green spaces around it. The main building has 95 rooms and a total construction area of 20,000 square meters;
The Independence Palace has two side buildings and a basement. The main rooms are the hall where the signing ceremony of the unification of the North and South regimes was witnessed, the cabinet meeting room, the diplomatic hall, the presidential reception room and the cinema, etc. There is also a building in the park that is now used as an exhibition room.
🎫Ticket: 65,000 Vietnamese dong;
⏰Opening hours: 7:30-11:00, 13:00-16:00;
⚠️Rent an interpreter: 90,000 Vietnamese dong, bring your passport;