One of the most obvious things you can do in Ho Chi Minh, previously known as Saigon, is to visit the historical landmarks around the city.

Of all the monuments and museums, the most historically significant is arguably Reunification Palace. Formerly known as Independence Palace, this was the residence of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

It is deeply associated with the fall of Saigon in 1975 when the first Communist trucks crashed through the iron gates – but more on that later!

What to see and do at Reunification Palace

From afar, the palace’s outline feels imposing. It does look like a very stately building, flanked by the fountain and numerous Vietnam flags.

According to history, a residence used to be built here for the French governor-general of Cochin-China. After the French left Vietnam, the palace became the residence of the South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem. His own air force, however, bombed the residence in an attempt to kill him. This damaged the building’s original structure.

Diem then ordered for a new modern residence to be built on the same site, but he didn’t live long enough to see its completion as he was finally killed by his own troops. Talk about unfortunate!

Meeting rooms and reception rooms

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to see in the palace. I’ve seen some in Korea (Gyeongbokgung!) but it’s a lot older and more traditional.

Reunification Palace, on the other hand, was a lot more modern. Despite is historical significance, the structure is fairly modern. The furnishings also wouldn’t look out of place in any modern home, except for the fact that it’s very luxurious and painted in many shades of red and gold.

The ground floor is filled with meeting rooms while the 2nd is fitted with reception rooms. It’s quite obvious that these are used to welcome guests, both foreign and national.

I found it quite fascinating that they primarily use red and gold colours in these grand furnishings. It’s quite similar to Chinese decor – I’m pretty sure there’s some overlap in the cultures.

This also serves as quite a stark reminder that Vietnam was and still is staunchly communist!

The meeting rooms are generally less fancy but mostly dressed with stately gold curtains, seats, and the standard red carpeted floors. Pretty consistent!

If you need a break from all the stately rooms, you can take a nice quiet stroll in the garden.

War rooms

Now moving on to the more ‘exciting’ parts.

If you want a real look into the Vietnam War and where a lot of the important decisions are made, visit the basement with its telecommunications centre, war room and warren of tunnels.

Living quarters

They did mention that the president stayed in the Reunification Palace, hence it’s no surprise that you’ll find evidence of his life here outside of work.

I wouldn’t say it’s particularly fancy, but it must have been very luxurious for his time. It is brightly-lit, well-ventilated, and a brilliant snapshot of how the elites lived in Vietnam during the 60s-70s.

You can’t do without some form of entertainment in your living quarters, and apparently they took it very seriously when they planned the rooms.

Other than a card-playing room (!), Reunification Palace also boasts a cinema AND a nightclub that comes with a helipad.

Was it excessive for a states-person to have such luxuries in his residence? Probably.

Is it wildly fascinating? Definitely.

Of course there’s a library and a study room too. We couldn’t take a closer look at the books locked up in the shelves though – such a pity!

Is Reunification Palace worth visiting?

As with other historical monuments and landmarks in Ho Chi Minh, I think it’s essential to have some background or understanding of the city’s history to better appreciate what you see.

Granted, there are signboards around the Palace that furnish key information. However, the significance and scale of what you see can be hampered. It’s easy to dismiss the multiple rooms as repetitive and boring if you don’t know what to focus on.

Also worth noting is that like other landmarks and museums, do note that most of Reunification Palace is not air-conditioned.

The weather in the city can get pretty hot & humid, especially in the June-July months. We didn’t have the best time sweating and trying to beat the heat with hand-held fans, and clearly some other tourists were also struggling.

However, other than the nitty-gritty bits and less-than-ideal temperature, I found the overall experience pretty good! It’s an honest look into the realities of Vietnamese history and politics, which I wasn’t exposed to before my trip.

It’s not the kind of place you would visit twice though (sorry!), but definitely worth at least one visit if you want to understand the city’s tumultuous history.

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DIRECTIONS

Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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