The vaulted hall
A green iron frame overhead.
Steffen Schmitz (more photos) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Prenn — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 · shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates — CC BY 2.0
A working post office in a grand colonial hall, built between 1886 and 1891 beside the cathedral. It was designed by Alfred Foulhoux, the colony's chief architect, though it is often wrongly credited to Gustave Eiffel. The facade carries plaques honouring pioneers of electricity and telecommunication, among them Morse, Ampère, Volta and Faraday. Inside, a long vaulted hall with a green iron frame leads to a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh at the far end. On either side hang two painted maps from 1892, one of the telegraph lines of southern Vietnam and Cambodia, the other of Saigon and its surroundings. You can still buy stamps and send postcards from its counters. Entry is free. Come early in the morning to see the hall before the tour groups arrive.
A green iron frame overhead.
Telegraph lines and old Saigon.
Post a card from a 130-year-old office.
Paris Commune Square, next to Notre-Dame Cathedral, central Saigon
Notre-Dame Cathedral of SaigonThe red-brick cathedral at the head of Dong Khoi Street, built by the French bet1 minute walk4.5
Museum of Ho Chi Minh CityA grand colonial mansion of 1890 that tells the story of the city, and one of th6 minutes walk4.3
Independence PalaceThe former presidential palace of South Vietnam, designed by the architect Ngo V7 minutes walk4.6
Saigon Central MosqueThe best-known mosque in Ho Chi Minh City, on Dong Du Street in the heart of Dis8 minutes walk4.6
Nguyen Hue Walking StreetA broad pedestrian boulevard running from the riverfront to the yellow-and-white10 minutes walk4.8Alfred Foulhoux, chief architect of the French colony, although it is often wrongly credited to Gustave Eiffel.