Top 5 Things To Know Before Exploring Ho Chi Minh City Independence Palace

1. Overview

Independence Palace is a mansion located in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, a special historical symbol of Vietnam. This palace is not only the workplace of the former President of South Vietnam but also a place to witness many important historical events.

With the special values of the Independence Palace, this building was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic in 1976. By 2009, the Independence Palace was ranked as one of ten special national monuments. Vietnam’s first. Currently, the Independence Palace is open to people and tourists, and has also welcomed many heads of state as well as high-ranking officials from other countries to visit and admire.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Independence Palace has unique architecture and is considered the most beautiful building in Asia. The palace is a cultural symbol, a famous place that you cannot miss when coming to Ho Chi Minh City.

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2. Other names and History of Independence Palace

2.1. Other names of Ho Chi Minh City Independence Palace

Independence Palace is also known by many different names:

• In 1871, after construction was completed, the Palace was named Norodom Palace.
• From 1871 – 1887, it was called the Governor’s Palace of Cochinchina.
• From 1887 – 1945, this place was renamed the Governor General’s Palace.
• Around 1955, Ngo Dinh Diem – President of the Republic of Vietnam decided to change the name of the Governor General’s Palace to Independence Palace, creating a new name that means independence, freedom and sovereignty. Since then, the name Independence Palace has existed and become a symbol of the struggle and desire for freedom of the Vietnamese people to this day.

2.2. History of Ho Chi Minh City Independence Palace

Independence Palace was built during the French colonial period. On February 23, 1868, Governor of Cochinchina Lagrandière held a groundbreaking ceremony to build the Cochinchina Governor’s Palace in Saigon.

In 1962, a bombing caused the main left wing and the gate of the Independence Palace to completely collapse. Because it was impossible to restore, Ngo Dinh Diem decided to level it and at the same time rebuild the new mansion right on the old ground according to the design of architect Ngo Viet Thu.

The new palace is 26m high, located on a 12ha campus, with an area of about 4500m2. In particular, the usable area is up to 20,000m2 with 3 main floors, 2 mezzanines, foundation floors, 2 basements, 1 terrace used to park helicopters.

3. Unique architecture of Ho Chi Minh City’s Independence Palace

When designing the mansion, architect Ngo Viet Thu wanted to create a work of cultural significance. Therefore, from the interior, electricity bills to the outside landscape, all have bold Eastern culture, mixed with modern Western design style. The palace was built with bamboo blocks and formed Chinese characters such as Cat, Khau, Trung, Tam, Chu and Hung, Vuong.

The palace is formed in the shape of the letter CAT, meaning luck. The central position is the National Letter Presentation room, the top floor is shaped like the letter KHAU, representing nobility and consensus. The letters TRUNG and TAM remind of the regiment and are full of Humanity (Nhan), Wisdom(Minh), and Martial Arts (Vo). Combined to form the letters VUONG and CHU, symbolizing the country’s sovereignty. The front part is shaped like the letter HUNG, representing the prosperity of the country.

All create an Independence Palace that is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a living symbol of solidarity and Vietnamese national spirit. With its special and meaningful architecture, Independence Palace has become a Saigon tourist destination that tourists should not miss.

4. What is there to explore at the Independence Palace?

4.1. Visit the exhibition areas at the Independence Palace

4.1.1. Fixed area

The permanent area at the Palace is home to more than 100 key rooms, each room has a special function and meaning. Rooms such as the stateroom, cabinet room, combat staff room,etc, all represent important events and activities in Vietnamese history. These rooms are decorated and arranged to clearly reflect the function and historical value of each space. This is where visitors have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the life and work of the President and Cabinet of the Republic of Vietnam during important periods of the nation’s history.

4.1.2. Thematic area

The thematic area at the Reunification Palace is an in-depth exhibition space on important historical topics and themes. This is the place to introduce special exhibitions such as “From the Paris Agreement to the Ho Chi Minh Campaign through Reserve Documents” and “Ho Chi Minh Trail through Documents of the Saigon Government” or “From Norodom Palace to the Independence Palace 1868 – 1966“. These exhibitions help visitors gain a deeper insight into important events, from war developments to decisive diplomatic efforts.

4.1.3. Additional area

The additional area in the Independence Palace exhibition house is not only a place to display photos that preserve historical value but is also a valuable source of information about the life and resistance of the Vietnamese people. These images are collected and preserved with the goal of educating and conveying the cultural values, patriotism and indomitable spirit of the past. This is an exchange space between generations, where the younger generation can better understand the difficulties, victories and pride of the Vietnamese people in their journey to independence and freedom.

4.2. Admire historical artifacts & precious works of art

When entering the Reunification Palace, visitors will admire unique historical artifacts, such as tanks, the UH-1 helicopter, the Mercedes Benz 200 W110 car of President Nguyen Van Thieu, etc. These artifacts are not just physical evidence of important events, but also vivid emotions about Vietnam’s heroic past. 

In addition, the Independence Palace also displays many unique works of art. Among them is an oil painting by architect Ngo Viet Thu, depicting the beauty of Vietnamese villages, a work recording traditional life. In addition, the painting “Binh Ngo Dai Cao” with 40 small pieces depicting the lives of Vietnamese people in the 15th century is also a unique and meaningful masterpiece of art.

5. Top 5 Things To Know Before Exploring Ho Chi Minh City Independence Palace

5.1. Where is the Independence Palace? Opening hours & ticket prices for Independence Palace?

• Independence Palace is located in the center of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, and is limited by 4 main roads, which are:

Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, main side, in the Northeast

Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street, back view, in the southwest

Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, on the left, in the northwest

Nguyen Du Street, on the right, in the Southeast

• Address of Independence Palace:

135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

106 Nguyen Du, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

• • Tel: (+84) 80 8503, (+84) 2838 223 652

• Independence Palace opening hours:

Ticket sales hours: 08:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m

Visiting hours: 08:00 a.m – 16:30 p.m for the Main Building and from 08:30 a.m – 16:30 p.m for the exhibition house “From Norodom Palace to Independence Palace 1868 – 1966”

• Reference ticket price

5.2. Transportation to Independence Palace

Independence Palace is located right in the city center, moving here is very convenient and easy. If you have a personal vehicle (car, motorbike), you just need to go to Google Maps and search for the name of the palace and you will get detailed instructions. Or you can go to the Independence Palace by bus or taxi:

Bus: A very popular means of transport, you can choose one of the bus routes passing through the Independence Palace as follows:

• Route 01: Ben Thanh bus station – Cho Lon bus station
• Route 02: Ben Thanh bus station – Western bus station
• Route 03: Ben Thanh – Thanh Loc bus station.
• Route 04: Ben Thanh – Cong Hoa bus station – An Suong bus station.
• Route 05: Ben Thanh – Bien Hoa bus station.
• Ticket price: 0.28 USD – 1.2 USD/ticket/turn.

Taxi: Just go down to the hotel lobby, catch a taxi, you can reach the Palace in seconds. When choosing to travel by taxi, don’t forget to research a reputable and safe taxi company to have the best experience. An ideal suggestion that tourists can choose with complete peace of mind is the Xanh SM taxi. XANH SM Taxi – the first pure electric taxi company in Vietnam, operating entirely on VinFast electric cars.

• You can quickly book a car in 4 ways:

– Call the national hotline 1900 2088

– Wave the car on the street like a traditional taxi

– Book a car on the SM Green Taxi application. Download the app right HERE. 

– Book a car through the beVinFast service on the be multi-service consumer platform

• Reference price: 0.44 USD – 0.66 USD/km.

5.3. Map of Independence Palace

To easily move around the Independence Palace, visitors should see the Palace map in advance:

5.4. Ways to visit the historical relics of the Independence Palace

Tour guide introduction: If you want a fully informative and detailed tour experience, visitors can sign up for a tour guide at the information counter. This service has a fee according to the regulations of the Monument, with a maximum number of guests per group of 25 adults or 50 children (15 years old and under).

Sightseeing by electric car: Reunification Palace provides a modern, environmentally friendly electric car service. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the vast campus and at the same time learn information about the Independence Palace through the automatic interpretation system integrated on the tram.

Freedom to experience: For those who want to explore freely, there are many modern signs and hoardings for visitors to explore historical sites on their own.

Use automatic audio commentary headphones: The Independence Palace supports an audio tour system, providing audio commentary information about the Independence Palace using electronic headphones. With 10 different languages, visitors can freely choose the appropriate language, from English, French, Japanese, Chinese to Thai and Vietnamese.

5.5. Where to park the Independence Palace car?

Visitors coming to the Reunification Palace by motorbike or bicycle can park their car right inside the Palace. The parking lot of the Independence Palace is located at 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, with a large space, roof and guaranteed security system.

Parking fee is only 0.04 USD/turn/day for bicycles, 0.16 USD/turn/day for motorbikes.

However, there is no car parking service. Guests traveling by car can go to the right road and the parking fee will be announced before entering the parking lot or parking at Tao Dan park.

5.6. Some things to note when visiting the Independence Palace

When visiting the Independence Palace, you should wear polite and discrete clothing, avoid wearing clothes that are too short or revealing.

Do not bring large or unnecessary luggage inside the monument.

Limit food and drinks, and make sure no trash is left in the area.

Follow the instructions of security guards and instruction signs during the tour.

Do not bring weapons, explosives, or toxic chemicals into the monument.

Do not bring animals with you.

Do not arbitrarily touch pictures or artifacts. If damage is caused to the monument, visitors will bear full responsibility.

You can combine visiting some other attractions near the Independence Palace such as: Ben Thanh Market (750m), Notre Dame Cathedral (400m), Bitexco Financial Tower (1.5km), Tao Park Dan (950m), Nguyen Hue Walking Street (1.1km), Ho Chi Minh City Museum (350m), War Remnants Museum (650m), etc.

In addition, Vietnam also has many attractive tourist paradises that you should not miss such as: Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hoi An , Da Nang , Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, etc.  You can experience more of our other attractive tours later

Ho Chi Minh City Tour & Cu Chi Tunnels Fullday Tour

Half-day Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Nam Cat Tien National Park Trekking & Adventure

Modern Comfort Meets Tradition in Southern Vietnam 5 Days

Vietnam Discovery 11 days From Sai Gon To Hanoi

Mixing Nature & Culture Vietnam In 30 Days

6. Conclusion

Above are Top 5 Things To Know Before Exploring Ho Chi Minh City Independence Palace that Metta Voyage shares with you. We hope the article provides you with useful information to explore the Independence Palace to the fullest. Don’t forget to visit our blog to see many other exciting travel experiences.

7. Contact us:

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