Colonial Beauty of Saigon Central Post Office

The time of internet left many post offices to the “past”. However, some of them are really the symbol of the past heydays thanks to its historical and architecture value. The Saigon Central Post Office is a nice example. In a strongly developing city, the post office standing as a trace of French Colonial in the past is an interesting stops for visitors to Saigon.

Saigon Central Post office after dark

It is located in the central downtown of Saigon city, now known as a new name – Ho Chi Minh City, in the area of many colonial buildings such as Notre-Dame de Saigon. Featuring neoclassical style, the post office was constructed under the French Colonial, between 1886 and 1891, and inspired by the typical style of Gustave Eiffel, who marked his own vision on the famous design of Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi. Although the building is not used as a post office literally, it is visited by many people daily as an interesting tourist attraction in the city center.

The post office is somehow a small museum to the locals and travelers as it preserves many valued things from the last century include two painted maps sharing the same age with the building. They were painted since the opening day of the post office and titled in French: “Lignes telegraphiques du Sud Vietnam et Cambodge 1892” (Telegraphic lines of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia 1892”) and “Saigon et ses environs 1892” (Sai Gon and its environment 1892)

A view inside Saigon Post Office

The post office encloses typical feature of a colonial building with high dome ceilings, charming yellow painted walls, high and big windows in green paint, etc. Inside the building, everything is kept almost the same more than 100 years ago. In walking distance from the Saigon Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office is a recommended landmark in Saigon city tour.