Ho Chi Minh City Museum
Ho Chi Minh
City Museum as known as National Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (Vien Bao Tang Thanh
Pho Ho Chi Minh) was built during the 19th Century (1885 – 1890) the era of
French Colonial in Vietnam with a European design and stylish Chinese style
roof. Alfred Foulhoux, a
French architect, designed it; he blended the Occidental style with Oriental
style. The building was originally intended for use as the
Commercial museum exhibiting native specialities, but it became the Cochinchina
governor’s palace.
Before the fall of Saigon this building known as Gia
Long Palace, it was the last residence of President of the Republic of Vietnam
Ngo Dihn Diem. In 1945, the building belonged to
five owners. The Japanese fascist government took over the French colonial
government in March, Yoshio Minoda, the Japanese Governor occupied the palace,
then Japanese government entrusted it to the regime of Bao Dai – Tran Trong
Kim.
The King’s special envoy of the Cochichina, Nguyen Vaên Sam used
as private residence for a short time. On August 25th 1945, the
Revolution force lowered Bao Dai force’s flag and raised the
revolution’s flag. Then the building became the Southern Provisional Administrative
committee’s headquarter.
On September 10th 1945, B.W Roe Lieutenant – colonel (British
mission) occupied legally the palace so the Southern Provisional Administrative
committee’s headquarter had to move to Doc Ly palace (nowadays is Ho Chi
Minh city’s people council).
After re-invading Saigon on May 23rd 1947, the French
government entrusted the palace to Le Van Hoach and used as the Southern
autonomous government’s headquarter, then it became Tran Van Huu
Governor’s palace, the Southern government’s palace on June 2 nd 1948.
After Geneva treaty 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem regime used the building
as Quoc Khach palace. On February 27th 1962, the Unification
palace bombed, Ngo Dinh Diem used the palace as the presidential palace.
Twenty months later, November 1st 1963, Saigon troops took over Ngo
Dinh Diem regime. The Unification palace already built in 1962, this building
was the Supreme court.
After the fall of Saigon on 30 April
1975, Gia Long Palace was turned into a museum and officially it has been Ho Chi Minh City museum since December 13th
1999.
Located at the corner of Ly Tu Trong Nam Ky Khoi
Nghia Street, near to the Reunification Palace, just across a small canal off
the Saigon River in District 4. This museum tells the
rags-to-equality story of a self-made revolutionary of Vietnam. The relics of
Ho Chi Minh's life are many in here, we can see it through photos collection
that museum have.
The
most interesting room in this museum is the Revolutionary Struggle room, here
they tell the struggle of the Vietnamese people to get their Independence, and
there is a huge painting about people struggle on the wall inside the room. We
also can find some stuff that the use during the struggle era, like the
typewriter that was used by Mr Pham Dan, the Major of Political Propaganda and
Ideological Education Board of Saigon (1960-1965) or Radio that was used by Mr
Huynh Tan Phat, the President of South Vietnam Provisional Government (1969 –
1975).
It is quiet easy to get to the museum, since the Ho Chi Minh city museum bounded by
four streets Ly Tu Trong, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Pasteur and Le Thanh Ton, we can
reached the place in several ways. By bus No 04, 18, 36 from Ben Thanh, Ham
Nghi get out at Pasteur – Ly Tu Trong station it located around 50 meters far
from the museum.
Place
Detail:
Name
of Building: Ho Chi Minh City Museum/ National Museum of Ho Chi Minh City
Address:
No 65 Ly Tu Trong – Be Nghe Ward – District 1
Opening
Hours: Daily from 8am to 5pm
Admission
Fee:
- Pupils:
2000VND/Person
- Students,
Adults: 5000VND/Person
- Foreigners:
15000 VND/Person
- Camera
For Wedding: 400000 VND/One time
Phone:
08.38299741 – 08.38298250
Fax:
08.38298250