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The Independence Palace, also known as Reunification Palace, was first constructed in 1868, after the French completed their conquest of Southern Vietnam. Using mostly materials imported from France, it took some five years before the palace was completed in 1873. The palace was named Norodom Palace after the then King of Cambodia, Norodom of Cambodia.
Since then, it was used by successive governor-generals of French Indochina, except for a period during World War 2, when the Japanese controlled the country. After the French were defeated in the battle of Dien Bien Phu, the palace became under Ngo Dinh Diem’s government, who renamed it Independence Palace.
In February 1962 during the Vietnam War, two pilots under Ngo’s government’s air force rebelled and bombed the palace, resulting in the left wing almost entirely destroyed. A decision was taken to demolish the old structure and rebuild the palace, where famed Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu was tasked to design the new building. It was during this period when Ngo Dinh Diem shifted his headquarters to the current-day Ho Chi Minh City Museum (find out more about this museum here!).
The rebuilt palace was completed in 1966, and served as the South Vietnam President’s residence and office until the country’s reunification in 1975. It was also during the same year that the government renamed the palace Reunification Hall, although its previous name continues to be in frequent use.
The palace grounds is quite big, and there are gardens surrounding the main hall. During cooler months, it would be nice to take a walk around the grounds as you check out the military equipment surrounding the main hall. Located by the right side of the complex, are replicas of the famous tanks that rammed through the palace’s main gate on 30 April 1975. The original tanks are actually kept in Hanoi’s museums. One of the tanks, tank 843, is currently based in Hanoi’s Vietnam Military History Museum (find out more about this museum here!).
Since then, it was used by successive governor-generals of French Indochina, except for a period during World War 2, when the Japanese controlled the country. After the French were defeated in the battle of Dien Bien Phu, the palace became under Ngo Dinh Diem’s government, who renamed it Independence Palace.
In February 1962 during the Vietnam War, two pilots under Ngo’s government’s air force rebelled and bombed the palace, resulting in the left wing almost entirely destroyed. A decision was taken to demolish the old structure and rebuild the palace, where famed Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu was tasked to design the new building. It was during this period when Ngo Dinh Diem shifted his headquarters to the current-day Ho Chi Minh City Museum (find out more about this museum here!).
The rebuilt palace was completed in 1966, and served as the South Vietnam President’s residence and office until the country’s reunification in 1975. It was also during the same year that the government renamed the palace Reunification Hall, although its previous name continues to be in frequent use.
The palace grounds is quite big, and there are gardens surrounding the main hall. During cooler months, it would be nice to take a walk around the grounds as you check out the military equipment surrounding the main hall. Located by the right side of the complex, are replicas of the famous tanks that rammed through the palace’s main gate on 30 April 1975. The original tanks are actually kept in Hanoi’s museums. One of the tanks, tank 843, is currently based in Hanoi’s Vietnam Military History Museum (find out more about this museum here!).
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The main palace itself is a four-storey building, which includes a bunker and a rooftop. Floors 1 through 3 consist mainly of different halls meant for different functions, including a banquet hall, conference hall, and reception rooms. The rooftop is where you can see a UH-1 Huey helicopter, where it was said that there was always one ready for then-President Nguyen Van Thieu to use. Also on the rooftop are two markings that depict where the bombs landed when an F-5 flew past in April 1975 in an attempt to bomb the palace. A piece of shrapnel remains at the site for visitors to view from afar.
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The bunker is an interesting place to see, where it was really the command centre towards the end of the Vietnam War. Numerous military equipment and maps are on display, where the President controlled his forces in the country from within the bunker. Finishing up the tour is the ground floor, and you get to see the large and relatively modern kitchen that was used during large-scale events back in the 1960s and 1970s.
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Indeed, the Independence Palace is a huge place to cover, and certainly requires quite some time to complete viewing the entire palace. If you really want to understand the history of this place, be sure to head over first thing in the morning, so you can beat the tourist crowd heading over via tour buses!
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P.S. Make sure you head over to the exhibit, From Norodom Palace to Independence Palace, located at the left side of the palace grounds before you exit. It is an important exhibit that must be visited to gain a more complete understanding of the significance of this palace. Find out more here!
Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 7.30am to 12pm; 1pm to 5pm
Cost: 40,000 VND
Opening hours: 7.30am to 12pm; 1pm to 5pm
Cost: 40,000 VND