Just a short walk across the street from Notre Dame Cathedral and the Reunification Palace, you can immediately see Saigon Central Post Office is one of the most famous buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. It is a rest of the French colonial era and perhaps the greatest postal in Southeast Asia. Located next to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, two cultural sites have created a great tourist destination, giving visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the Indochina Empire.
History of Saigon Central Post Office
The Saigon Central Post Office was designed by a French architect Villedieu and his assistant Foulhoux, but other sources are claiming that it was the work of Gustave Eiffel who was famous for the iconic French symbol. The fact is that it was Gustave Eiffel who had designed the first version of the post office, then the construction was rebuilt by Villedieu in 1886.
As soon as the French took control of the South of Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh City, they established a telegraph system. In 1863, the building was first opened to service for the locals, and the post office issued their first stamp. In 1864, the Saigon Central Post Office began to be well-known in the Southern areas. From 1886 to 1891, the building was modernized by architect Villedieu, and that is the look of the Saigon Central Post Office we see today.
Saigon Central Post Office Architecture
Saigon Central Post Office Exterior
This old mansion was built in the late 19th century by the famous architect Gustavo Eiffel. Its architectural design represents for the French colonial style.
Discovery Postal buildings, you will easily see its architecture has many features very similar to European railway stations. The modern skylight older structure is similar to the famous buildings of Paris Les Halles Europe as either late nineteenth century Galleria of Milan. The central pavilion, with a large clock and extending symmetrically either side, adding to its beauty.
This attractive building with niches and fenestration logical screen is a highlight of the design is influenced by French Renaissance architecture. The curved windows of the Saigon Central Post Office are decorated with decorative capstones. The fames of the windows are designed with abutment creative are attracted, crowned with the first human capital imaginative. The window shutters green like any other colonial France. The main entrance of the Central Post Office is decorated with ironwork complex, creating a curious architectural style of drawing tourists strange.
Saigon Central Post Office Interior
If you’re in Saigon Central Post Office, you cannot miss the giant map of Vietnam on both sides of the main entrance of the building. The elegant interior is considered the most interesting features of the Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City. Interior dome and shines with its glass dome, a huge ceiling and a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh City, make sure you will be captivated by its beauty.
Postal Service offers all kinds of traditional postal services such as mailing, selling postcards or stamps (with a large array of stamps to choose from, which ranges in price from the cheapest ones). Besides, post offices also offer foreign exchange.
Saigon Post Office Opening Hours
Address: 2 Cong Xa Paris Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening Hours:
Weekdays: 7 AM – 7 PM
Saturday: 7 AM – 6 PM
Sunday: 8 AM – 6 PM
Entrance fee: Free
