The Architecture of Central Saigon: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Overview

Ho Chi Minh City – or Saigon to those who know and love it – is like a jumbled attic of architectural anomalies, each one recounting a chapter in Vietnam’s story. On this self-guided audio tour, you’ll explore the city’s built heritage, from French edifices to groundbreaking modernist landmarks. You’ll also catch glimpses of the biophilia taking root in a city that is increasingly dominated by glass and steel. This tour starts at Notre Dame Cathedral. You’ll explore the Saigon Central Post Office, a neo-baroque facade that flaunts flashes of French Indochina, and the neo-classical Justice Building, with Ionic and Corinthian columns straight out of Ancient Greece. As you wander through leafy boulevards, you’ll also learn how Vietnamese architects reclaimed the city’s identity after the French exit. The tour ends at the Archbishop’s Residence compound. This walking tour offers a unique perspective on how architecture reveals Vietnam’s journey from colonial rule to independence.