Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City

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HCMC.
There are always so many things to see and do when out and about...Time is usually the main factor governing what we have time to see...The Reunification Palace in H.C.M.C is really worth the visit..My thoughts upon walking into the Entrance here was the vision of the Tank (#843) crashing through the gates on April 30th 1975..The day that South Vietnam surrendered and the war finished.This Palace was the residence of the then South Vietnamese premier Nguyen Van Thieu.
There are many things to view inside and outside the Palace their are many military vehicles including Tank #843. The Palace today is as it was in 1975 (except for new gates)

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The Reunification Palace is located on the area where the Norodom Palace was formerly erected way back during the French colonial period. The French governor resided there and during Japanese occupation, it became also their headquarters. The Palace was destroyed during the Vietnam War when an aircraft bombed the left wing of the palace. It was then replaced by the current structure which was occupied by then President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It was the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates. The communist North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam established the provisional government there and thereafter renamed the palace, Reunification Hall.

This Hall has a lot of convention halls, entertainment room, meeting room, war room, ballroom (im serious) and the President's office.

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Reunification Palace is one the most important attractions in Ho Chi Minh City because it was the site where Vietnam war was ended. This palace was the home and workplace for the President of south Vietnam. It hosted many important meetings, and greeted many leaders from other countries. In April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates and declared the victory of the communist party, ending the Vietnam war.

You expect to see modern architecture of the building surrounded by beautiful green landscape. Inside, you can see the President office, meeting halls, conference halls, guest lodge, and outdoor deck to view the City.

We ran into some fellow traveler's who told us to avoid going inside this old building, but of course we didn't listen and went ahead and went inside !!!! AGAIN !!! Should have listen to my fellow traveler's !!! nothing to see inside, it's old chairs, old telephone's it's like the place stood still in time !!!! there's nothing inside that's worth the time to see. Avoid it if you can, better from the outside and the park across the street.

This is where the famous photo of the tank knocking over the fence was taken thus ending the Vietnam war for those in the west.

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So the group decided to take a leisurely 30 minute walk to the Reunification Palace from our hotel. It was supposedly designed with the help of Soviet architects. The tank which crashed through its gates (associated to the fall of Saigon) still graces the front lawn. The rooms that were open to the public remain exactly as they were in 1975. I enjoyed the underground tunnels housing a telecommunications center -- I really got to live out my spy thriller fantasies!

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Reeunification palace or Thong Nhat Conference Hall is a Presidential Palace. It was built in 1865 on the grounds of Norodom Palace as a residence for the French Governor General of Cochinchina.It was designed by Western-trained architect Ngo Viet Thu. The construction was undertaken by Saigon engineers and was completed in 1966.

The five-story building consists of 100 rooms and chambers decorated with the finest modern Vietnamese arts and crafts. The ground floor room has a boat-shaped table that was often used for conferences. Upstairs, a room called Phu Dau Rong was where Nguyen Van Thieu received foreign delegations. The residential quarters are in the back of the building. On the third floor, there is a card-playing room. This floor also possesses a terrace with a heliport where a helicopter is parked. The fourth floor was used for dancing, and even had a casino. The most interesting part of the building is probably the basement containing a network of tunnels, a telecommunication centre, and a war room.

Extra Informations.
Rntrance Ticket : 15,000 dong
Ticket sales : 7:30 am until 11:00 am and 13:00Pm until 16:00Pm.
Palace open: 7:30 Am until noon , 13:00 until 17:00 Pm
They also provide free guided tours ( English, French, Chinese and Japanese.
Some rooms in the palace are available for hire for meeting and banquets.
The palace also has facilities for celebrations such as weddings and birthday parties.

There is a replica of the US Helicopter that was used for the evacation of the President before the Viet Cong arrived. Its located on the roof , directly outside one of the formal rooms. Tanks are visible on the grounds below.

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The basement, was for me, the most interesting part. This area served as a secret headquaters and the heart of operations for the South during the war .All the old telco equipment and war maps are here. It also served as a bomb shelter.

It has an eariness to it .The narrow corridors painted army green help to take us back to this troubled time.