From Imperialism to Modernism: The Architecture of Central Saigon

(9 reviews)

Ho Chi Minh City audio tour: From Imperialism to Modernism: The Architecture of Central Saigon

This is a 1.6mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

$7.99

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About the Tour

Ho Chi Minh City – or Saigon to those who know and love it – is like a jumbled attic of architectural anomalies, each one recounting a chapter in Vietnam’s story.

On this walking tour, you’ll explore the city’s built heritage, from French edifices to groundbreaking modernist landmarks. You’ll also catch glimpses of the biophilia taking root in a city that is increasingly dominated by glass and steel.

This tour starts at Notre Dame Cathedral, a colonial copy of its counterpart in Paris, but with its own cultural elements and local superstitions. You’ll explore the Saigon Central Post Office, a neo-baroque facade that flaunts flashes of French Indochina, and the neo-classical Justice Building, with Ionic and Corinthian columns straight out of Ancient Greece.

As you wander through leafy boulevards, you’ll also learn how Vietnamese architects reclaimed the city’s identity after the French exit. I’ll point out a rare, quiet side street where you can stop for coffee (or a beer). The tour ends at the Archbishop’s Residence compound, home to what may be Saigon’s oldest building, a feudal chapel with yin-yang roof tiles.

On this 75-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

Examine how Vietnamese modernist architects incorporated traditional symbols like Chinese characters and dragon imagery into their progressive designs
Discover how climate-responsive design was incorporated into buildings like the Independence Palace and General Sciences Library, naturally cooling buildings before air conditioning
Learn about Vietnam’s growing biophilic architectural movement that seeks to merge nature with urban structures
Spot the rooftop where the iconic helicopter evacuation photo was taken during America’s hasty 1975 departure
Visit a rare pre-colonial tomb tucked away in the city’s central park
Explore the curved corner apartment building at 218 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, an example of Saigon’s endangered modernist heritage

This walking tour offers a unique perspective on how architecture reveals Vietnam’s journey from colonial rule to independence, and beyond.

Tour Producer

Joshua Zukas

6 tours

I value depth over breadth, which is why I write almost exclusively about Vietnam—a country I’ve called home for more than a decade.

Why Vietnam? Because I love a good story, and Vietnam is teeming with them. Some are mythological, others grounded in historical fact, but most inhabit that compelling grey space in between. I draw on these narratives whenever possible in my work, whether writing guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Fodor’s and Hardie Grant, or features for The Economist, Wallpaper, Business Insider, The Michelin Guide and others. I’m also the author of Bradt’s Vietnam, the most in-depth guide to the country currently on the market. I hold a BA in Southeast Asian Studies, specialising in Vietnam, and an MSc in Sustainable Tourism.

My VoiceMap walking tours offer more than an introduction to Vietnam’s complex history. They bring to life the stories hiding in plain sight, lead you down alleyways you might otherwise pass by, and introduce you to street food spots that most tourists never find.

Preview Location

Location 15

General Sciences Library

So, here we are at the General Sciences Library -- my favourite building in the city. Stop for a moment to take a look at it.

Like the Independence Palace, it's another example of how the Vietnamese reclaimed the city after the French left. Now a library which is free to vi... So, here we are at the General Sciences Library -- my favourite building in the city. Stop for a moment to take a look at it.

Like the Independence Palace, it's another example of how the Vietnamese reclaimed the city after the French left. Now a library which is free to visit, the original plot held a colonial prison where freedom was crushed. It was built in the 1860s to incarcerate a few hundred prisoners, but by 1930 more than a thousand people were imprisoned here in truly squalid conditions. That prison was finally demolished in 1968, making way for the modernist masterpiece you see in front of you. It was designed by Bùi Quang Hanh, completed in 1971 and flaunts several fascinating features.

First, note the perforated façade, which we might call brise-soleil, and long, rectangular moat. This was a bioclimatic cooling mechanism before air-conditioning was viable, as the idea is that the breeze would cool as it passed above the water and then filter through the facade and into the building. At the same time, the facade protects against tropical rain storms and intense sunlight. The exterior corridor that lines the front of the building was designed as kind of buffer to protect the interiors from the heat. And the trees were planted to provide natural shade for the benches in the garden.

Look closely and you'll also find elements that echo Vietnam's pre-colonial past. The whole structure appears to be raised on stilts, a technique used across the country, from the highland areas to the southern delta. And if you study the facade you'll see the same Chinese character repeated again and again. This is double happiness, used at weddings and at festivals, and expresses the utmost good luck for the future. Even more obvious are the fabulous dragon heads, which appear to float among modernist clouds. Dragons are central to Vietnamese culture and mythology -- they represent royal masculine energy, Hanoi used to be called Soaring Dragon, and they are one of the country's four mythical beasts. If you'd like to learn more about these mythical beasts -- and learn what the other three are -- check out my tour in Hanoi.

Anyway, this rarely visited building is free to visit. If it's open and you'd like to go inside, or take a break in the leafy garden, please do. Otherwise, keep walking in the same direction with the library on your left, and the traffic on your right. I'll let you know when to turn. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
Saigon Central Post Office
Independence Palace
Ho Chi Minh City People's Court
General Science Library of Ho Chi Minh City
Tao Dan Park
218 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu
Tòa Tổng Giám Mục Sài Gòn

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
01 Công trường Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 70000, Vietnam
Total distance

3km
Final location
93 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Distance back to start location

932.83m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins in front of the Virgin Mary statue in central Saigon. She stands in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral at the northern end of Đồng Khởi Street.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

The tour has several places to stop along the way, including major landmarks that you can enter. We also pass a couple of museums, but it's best to come back to those another time. There is one coffee/ drink stop in the middle of the tour.

Best time of day

Anytime of day, any day of the year. However, be mindful of the weather -- bring a rain jacket just in case. The best time to do it is in the late afternoon or early evening when the city has cooled down and the buildings are lit to spectacular effect.

Precautions

The biggest issue is crossing the road. The traffic will not stop for you, even on zebra crossings. The key is to wait for a break in the traffic, and then move slowly and predictably across the road. Phone snatching can be a problem, so if you need to take your phone out, do so away from the road and with your back to the traffic. Bringing sunblock, waterproofs (or an umbrella) and a bottle of water is also a good idea.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”