Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception (Notre Dame), Saigon's most iconic landmark - and possibly one of the most iconic landmarks in all of Vietnam - stands proudly in the very center of the city. This 19th century Romanesque cathedral was constructed by the French colonial government of Cochinchina (southern Vietnam) as the seat of the Archbishop of Saigon.
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| Notre Dame |
The cathedral is a popular site with tourists, and a very important spot for Vietnamese Catholics. It's even said to be the sight of a miracle! In 2005, it was reported that the statue of Mary in front of the cathedral was weeping tears, attracting Christians from all over Vietnam to visit the cathedral to witness the miracle. This hasn't been confirmed by the Vatican.
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| statue of Regina Pacis |
Unfortunately for us, the cathedral is undergoing a massive three-year renovation from 2017-2020, and the inside is closed to visitors during this period. From what I've seen though, the cathedral has some really beautiful stained glass. I guess I'll just have to come back in a few years and see for myself!
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| Notre Dame Saigon |
It looked like it was going to rain soon, but we took the risk to walk around the cathedral anyway. It's huge! I really wish that I could have seen the inside. There are a lot of great sights to see in the city center, though, all clustered around the cathedral!
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| the side and back of the cathedral |
Saigon Central Post Office
Just across the street from the cathedral is the Saigon Central Post Office. The historic building was built in a renaissance style during the colonial period to serve Cochinchina. It's still an active and busy post office today, but its also one of the city's most beautiful and popular sites to visit.
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| the central post office |
Inside the post office, it's crowded and bustling. A portrait of Ho Chi Minh hangs from the wall, looking down over the people inside.
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| portrait of Ho Chi Minh |
Along a wall, a bank of ATMs built into old wooden telegraph booths stand beneath an original hand-painted map of the telegraph lines of Cochinchina.
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| maps and bank of ATMs |
A few fat raindrops were beginning to fall as we left the post office. Trying to beat the rain, we hurried down a nearby side street which looked like it had some covering. It turned out to be something pretty special too!
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| statues outside the post office |
Book Street
We stumbled into the book street by accident. Lining this small alley were dozens of tiny little book shops and a cafe or two.
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| Book Street |
This area of Saigon feels the most modern and urban. The city seems to be even more developed than Hanoi. There were even several shops with English book sections. That's not too surprising though. This part of town is home to lots of international business offices and foreign consulates.
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| a book shop |
Saigon Opera House
Next, we passed the Saigon Opera House, which was constructed in 1900. It's still used for operas, plays, concerts, and other performances. For a time, the opera house was the seat of the lower house of government of the State of Vietnam and its successor the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). After the reunification of Vietnam, the Opera House was restored and returned to its original purpose.
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| opera house |
City Hall
Heading back to the hotel, we walked past the City Hall, probably one of the city's most important and recognizable landmarks. The City Hall, or more officially the "People's Committee Building", is another relic of the French colonial period. Originally constructed as the headquarters for the colonial government of the southern Vietnam, the city hall was renamed in 1975 after the fall of Saigon.
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| City Hall |
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