City Hall, Ho Chi Minh City

Although city hall is not open to the public, it still is worth hunting it down to have a look at the beautiful architecture.

It was completed in 1908, once being known as the "Hotel de Ville." It is another building with French influence, having been modeled on the City hall in Paris.
If you have a chance, come by at night time when it is all lit up.

In front of the building is a large statue of Uncle Ho himself, seated, teaching a Vietnamese child.

The City Hall in Saigon is an old french building that was originally build as a hotel in the early 20th century.
It is standing right next to the famous Rex Hotel smack in the center of town and is one of the prettiest buildings in Saigon in my opinion.
The place is not open to the public so you have to enjoy it from the outside only, but it's nice to do and there is a nice little park in front of it where it's nice to hang out with the locals.

I was just strolling through Ho Chi Minh City and was suddenly standing in front of the Ho Con Rua-monument at the intersection of the Vo Van Tan, Tran Cao Van and Pham Ngoc Thach Streets.

The monument is actually a fountain which symbolizes Ho Con Rua (the Turtle Lake). The fountain was built 25 years ago and there used to be a giant turtle here as well. The turtle was a symbol of wisdom and good luck, but it was destroyed after the Vietnam War. There is a mini-observation deck, and around the monument you’ll find some very high acacia trees.

The People Committee (City Hall) is located at the end of Nguyen Hue Street and was built between 1898 and 1908 in French colonial style – designed after the Hotel de Ville in Paris. The building has been known as Hotel de Ville, the Town Hall, and the City Hall of Saigon - but renamed to Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee in 1975.

It is a working government building and not open for the public or tourists, but the building itself is quite impressive. I have read that it should be very beautiful when illuminated at night.

Opposite the People Committee is a little park with a statue of Uncle Ho.

Part two of my City Hall Tips with more pictures

The Saigon City Hall is one of the famous Landmarks of Ho CHi Minh City and is now renamed the People's Comitte Building. The Saigon City Hall was called the Town Hall till 1954. In the brief span of time between 1954 and 1975 it was renamed the City Hall of Saigon. Since 1975 the building has been called the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Building. This charming cream and yellow French Colonial Building stands at the end of Nguyen Hue Boulevard on the Le Thanh Ton Street.

The construction of this building started in March 1898 and was completed in 1908. The building is said to be designed by the famous French architect P. Gardes’s whose design contributed to the main hall and the rectangular wings. On the top of the building is the famous bell tower which is placed on a pyramid like pedestal. The presence of bell towers is adapted from Renaissance architecture and is a feature that is common to most European town halls.

Since this is a working government building, no one other than civil servants and cleaners are allowed in. Saigon's Town Hall’s distinct French colonial architecture reminds you of provincial French towns. Though it is not open to the public, tourists can see it from the outside, and the Night Views Are SPECTACULAR!

The Saigon City Hall is one of the famous Landmarks of Ho CHi Minh City and is now renamed the People's Comitte Building. This will be a two part tip with more pictures

The Saigon City Hall was called the Town Hall till 1954. In the brief span of time between 1954 and 1975 it was renamed the City Hall of Saigon. Since 1975 the building has been called the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Building. This charming cream and yellow French Colonial Building stands at the end of Nguyen Hue Boulevard on the Le Thanh Ton Street.

The construction of this building started in March 1898 and was completed in 1908. The building is said to be designed by the famous French architect P. Gardes’s whose design contributed to the main hall and the rectangular wings. On the top of the building is the famous bell tower which is placed on a pyramid like pedestal. The presence of bell towers is adapted from Renaissance architecture and is a feature that is common to most European town halls.

Since this is a working government building, no one other than civil servants and cleaners are allowed in. Saigon's Town Hall’s distinct French colonial architecture reminds you of provincial French towns. Though it is not open to the public, tourists can see it from the outside, and the Night Views Are SPECTACULAR!

The building was built in French colonial style. It is actually the office of Ho Chi Minh city's People Committee. Right in front of the building stands the statue of Ho Chi Minh president.
The place is nice to visit both in day and night time. It is located centrally, and easy to walk to nearby popular streets,e.g. Nguyen Hue, Le Loi...

Originally called the Hôtel de Ville and now formally re-branded the People's Committee Hall, it's a striking cream and yellow French colonial building for the then city of Saigon. No entry, but the statue of Uncle Ho in front is a very popular place for photos.

Just a short distance from the Museum of Vietnamese History and Zoo is a small military museum devoted to Ho Chi Minh's campaign to liberate the south. It showcases artefacts like weapons, uniforms, medals and old photos and other paraphernalia belonging to the period of Communist struggle against the French and the Americans. Sadly, the exhibits are only labelled in the Vietnamese language. There are some US, Chinese and Soviet war material on display outdoors, including a Cessna A-37 of the South Vietnamese Air Force and a US-built F-5E Tiger with the 20mm nose gun still loaded. The tank on display is one of the tanks that broke into the grounds of Reunification Palace on 30 April 1975.

Open: 8-11.30am & 1.30-4.30pm. Closed Mondays & Saturdays. Admission: 10,000 VND.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall or Hôtel de Ville de Saigon was built in 1902-1908 in a French colonial style for the then city of Saigon. It was renamed after 1975 as the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. The French colonial-inspired building, based on the Hotel de Ville in Paris, is equally striking during the day or night (when it's illuminated). There's a nice park area at the front of the building where you'll find some seats and a statue of Ho Chi Minh.

The city fathers (and mothers!) rule from the Ho Chi Minh People’s Committee building, which is not open to the public. Situated at the intersection of Nguyen Hue and Le Thanh Ton, the former Hotel de Ville is within walking distance from other tourist attractions such as Ben Thanh Market, Opera House and Notre Dame Cathedral.

The French colonial-inspired building, based on the Hotel de Ville in Paris (French for town or city hall), is equally striking during the day or night. Flower displays surround a statue of the seated Ho Chi Minh throwing a protective arm over the shoulders of a small child. Manicured trees decorate the façade of the building with its twin towers, central spire, white columns and aesthetically pleasing arches. The building is well lit at night.

This Rococo-Baroque- and a bit kitsch- building looks out of place in a South East Asian city, but the French colonialists left a lot of that sort of buildings in Vietnam, and they give a sort of charm and identity to these cities; today, mainly concrete and glass blocks raise from the ground, and they look alike all over the planet. The colonial buildings represent a certain ideology and a historical period, and it is good they are preserved, not for glorification, but for memory (and their usefulness and aesthetics!). So, here is an example of kitschy colonial architecture which has been well preserved and still is the living centre of a city! It has been built in 1907 and hosted the municipality offices during the colonial times, since 1975 (and since Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City), the building is occupied by the Popular Comity of Ho Chi Minh City.
The first picture shows the city hall at night, lit by engineers and artists from the French city of Lyon, with which Saigon is in the process to become a twin city.
The façade is heavily decorated as you can see on picture 2 and on the details of the left side tower (picture 3).
The wide avenue leading to the city hall is prolonged with a neatly laid out garden (picture 4) where you recognise Uncle Ho, here giving some wisdom lesson to a child probably, as it seems, on picture 5.

If you have decided to explore HCMC by walking, the city center can be visited in a few hours. One of the remarkable buildings that you should also visit is the city hall. While walking from the opera house to Ben Thanh Market, you can make a short stop here to take some pictures.

The Hotel de Ville - or city hall - is from French Colonial times with its beautiful architecture. With Ho Chi Minh resting on the square in front of it, the city hall is in the center of the old heart of the Saigon with all the other famous buildings in walking distance.

This is a magnificent-looking building - a heritage of the French colonial era. The architecture is not unlike those you can find in Paris. Unfortunately, it is not open to visitors and therefore you could not see what is inside. But the exterior is beautiful and makes a nice place to snap some photos. The building is illuminated at night and is beautiful.

In front of the building is a plaza with a statue of Ho Chi Minh.