Located in Sai Gon Ward, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, formerly Gia Long Palace, is a striking piece of French colonial architecture built between 1885 and 1890 to a design by architect Alfred Foulhoux.
The building was originally intended to serve as a commercial museum displaying products from Cochinchina. After completion, however, it became the residence of Henri Eloi Danel, deputy governor-general of French Indochina.
Covering more than 1,700 square metres, the museum reflects a classical revival style that blends European and Asian influences. The main structure has two storeys and a lateral wing, distinguished by its symmetrical facade, sloping tiled roof and ornate decorative details.
Having weathered major historical upheavals, the building stands not only as a witness to key chapters in Ho Chi Minh City’s past but also as a repository for thousands of valuable artefacts and historical documents.
In 2015, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum was recognised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism as one of the country’s three leading museums.
Visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the formation and development of Sai Gon and Ho Chi Minh City, closely tied to Vietnam’s culture, land and people. “This is my second time back at the museum because it displays so much material that one visit is not enough to take it all in,” said Nhat Nam, 22.
Architecturally, the carved details along the western-style roofline and upper floor depict animals and plants in an imagined amphibious landscape. Lizards and long-legged birds appear in motion, bending to drink or spreading their wings. These fanciful motifs do not diminish the building’s solemn grandeur, instead evoking the wetlands of southern Vietnam.
“The Ho Chi Minh City Museum has a beauty all of its own, not dazzling or overwhelming, but quiet and contemplative, making people slow down and reflect,” Thu Thao said after capturing a series of striking images.
The museum has nine permanent themed exhibition spaces: nature and archaeology; geography and administration of Sai Gon and Ho Chi Minh City; trading port; commerce and services; industry and handicrafts; Sai Gon and Ho Chi Minh City culture; revolutionary struggle from 1930 to 1954; revolutionary struggle from 1954 to 1975; war memorabilia; and Vietnamese currency.
After six months of closure for repairs, the 1,400-square-metre bomb shelter beneath the mansion has reopened to visitors. The bunker has four entrances, stands about two metres high and is located at the ends of the corridors.
The secret bunker is 2.2 metres high and was cast in heavily reinforced concrete, using 170 kilogrammes of steel per cubic metre of concrete. Its walls are one metre thick and fitted with six iron doors operated by ship-style wheels. Depending on the section, the floor is finished in cement or patterned tiles. Inside are six rooms, four exits facing Le Thanh Ton Street, six ventilation shafts and two wastewater drains.
The bunker was commissioned by President Ngo Dinh Diem and built from May 1962 to October 30, 1963 as protection against bombing amid fears of a coup. Architect Ngo Viet Thu was tasked with the design before engineer Phan Dinh Tang took over the work.
Today, numerous screens have been installed along the bunker walls and corridors, showing Gia Long Palace design drawings as well as historical documents and images of coups and the city’s landmark heritage sites.
The exit lies within the grounds behind the mansion, facing Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street and Pasteur Street. The bunker roof is concealed by ornamental plant pots and fitted with a lighting system.
Housed in a 136-year-old building, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum is a remarkable example of historic urban architecture and an appealing destination for those seeking to understand the city’s past. Admission is VND 30,000 (about USD 1.15) per person, including access to the bunker.
