The bell towers
About 58 m, added in 1895.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0
The red-brick cathedral at the head of Dong Khoi Street, built by the French between 1877 and 1880 with bricks shipped from Toulouse, which have kept their colour without any render. The two bell towers, added in 1895, rise about 58 metres, and the name Notre-Dame has been used since 1959, when a statue of the Virgin Mary was placed in the square in front. The cathedral has been under a major restoration since 2017. The interior is closed to sightseeing while services continue, and scaffolding has covered parts of the facade; the bell towers were due to be finished in 2026, with the whole project expected to run into 2027 or beyond. Most visitors see it from the square, together with the Central Post Office next door, and the two make one short stop on a walk through the old French quarter.
About 58 m, added in 1895.
Unfaded since the 1880s.
Shared with the Central Post Office.
Paris Commune Square, head of Dong Khoi Street, central Saigon
Saigon Central Post OfficeA working post office in a grand colonial hall, built between 1886 and 1891 besi1 minute walk4.3
Museum of Ho Chi Minh CityA grand colonial mansion of 1890 that tells the story of the city, and one of th5 minutes walk4.3
Independence PalaceThe former presidential palace of South Vietnam, designed by the architect Ngo V6 minutes walk4.6
Saigon Central MosqueThe best-known mosque in Ho Chi Minh City, on Dong Du Street in the heart of Dis9 minutes walk4.6
War Remnants MuseumHo Chi Minh City's most visited museum, telling the story of Vietnam's wars with9 minutes walk4.4The interior has been closed to sightseeing since the major restoration began in 2017, though services continue; the work is expected to run into 2027 or beyond.