City Hall, Ho Chi Minh City

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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.

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The City Hall is known by many names, including Town Hall, Hôtel de Ville and People's Committee Hall... this name should be the official one, I believe. It's a beautiful French colonial building that, at night, is lit up. Sadly it is not possible to viist it.. it's a working government building.

In front of the city hall there's a massive statue, dedicated to Uncle Ho... after Uncle Sam I guess. Uncle Ho is no one less the Ho CHi Minh himself, the father of the revolution and re-united Vietnam. In this statue he's portrayed reading a book to a child.

It's so apt in meaning when you see Ho Chi Minh's statue in the foreground while the City Hall sits in the background. The defeat of the French and other colonial rulers by someone in their Vietnamese community.

If you think what I'm saying sounds a little abstract or slanting towards propoganda, well, just admire the picture that I've taken in the evening. It was taken without flash so as to capture the nice glow of the building.

City Hall, or the Hotel de Ville, is a colonial French building, built in 1908, that adds a sense of history to the downtown area. It was originally built as the Saigon City Hall and it now houses the city's communist government, so it is heavily guarded.

It's modern name is People's Committee Hall, and there is a nice statue of Ho Chi Minh out front.

Nearby is the somewhat famous Rex Hotel, where the American journalists often got their daily briefings during the Vietnam War, infamously known as the "Five O'Clock Follies."

This beautiful cream & yellow French colonial building may look familiar to you if you've ever watched any Vietnam-themed Hollywood movies but don't expect to see lovely genteel maidens cycling by in their crisp white ao dais. This is 21st century Ho Chi Minh city and the former Hôtel de Ville is now the People's Committee Hall. Sadly, this building is strictly No Entry and a statue of Uncle Ho sits in the front of the building

Originally built in the early 1900s, this is a popular place for photo shoots and is also beautiful at night.

The City Hall, or People's Committee Hall, is a very grand building caty-corner from the Rex Hotel. It really shows off the fine french colonial architecture of Saigon. However, the general public is not able to tour the building, and when you are up close to it, you will notice several signs indicating no pictures are allowed. There is a nice statue of "Unlce Ho" right in front of the building.

The City Hall building, currently the People's Committee Building, and formerly Hotel de Ville, is an oustanding example of French architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, ready in 1901. Further in front of it, you will find the man himself, Mr Ho Chi Minh. Unfortunately this local government building is not open to the public, but you can nonetheless admire the well-restored building from outside.