Walking through Saigon, you should definitely see Notre Dame de Saigon and the main post office. Fortunately, they are very close. How to get to one of the most popular attractions of the city of Ho Chi Minh City – read below.
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Description of Mail in Saigon
The main post office in Saigon is one of the best attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. Reviews of tourists about this building are very different, sometimes contradictory, all the more worth seeing. The city of Ho Chi Minh until 1975 was called Saigon, this name is still found in the spoken language.
The unusual architecture of the post office is somewhat reminiscent of the railway station with its large clock and wrought-iron fence. A sort of a piece of Europe in the center of Asia. The building was designed by a French architect, the date of construction is 1891. The role of the doors perform unusual patterned grilles. The high arched ceiling supports a range of steel columns. The French colonial style brought lightness, airiness, a lot of light colors to the room. Exquisite mahogany furniture, Asian-inspired frescoes, tiled floors, arched windows and beautiful stucco molding on the façade all enchant and catch the eye. It is hard to believe that you are in the current post office. But this is so – here you can select and send a postcard. There is even an information kiosk selling theater, excursion and transport tickets.
It is known that Ho Chi Minh, when he was 17 years old, worked in this post office. Now, entering the building, on the main wall you see his portrait. On the side walls at the top are drawn two large maps. On one map of Ho Chi Minh and its environs in 1892, on the second – the telegraph line of South Vietnam and Cambodia at the same time. Many compare the interior with the decoration of this palace, the columns give it majesty, a lot of light – just the mail in the palace. The building combines a museum, post office and souvenir shops. There is always a lot of people, not only tourists but also local ones.
Separately, it is worth noting the telephone booths, they are old, but in good condition. Above them is a clock showing the time in different countries. The first seven booths are used for telephone calls, the next five are ATMs where you can withdraw money. The latter is equipped with a secret mailbox. It is not immediately clear what it is.
The facade of the post is so beautiful and organic that it constantly becomes the background for photos. Newlyweds come here, graduates make group photos. On the Internet there are a lot of photos of tourists near this building.
How to get, opening hours
The post office building is located almost in the city center, on ul. Paris Commune 2.
Mail accepts visitors from 6 am to 10 pm, admission is free. You can visit the post office during a general tour of Ho Chi Minh’s French Quarter. Opposite the post office is located Notre Dame de Saigon, which is the hallmark of the city. It should be borne in mind that until 2020, the cathedral is under reconstruction.
Unable to visit the central post office of Saigon and remain indifferent. This is a well-preserved monument of architecture, which still works for its intended purpose. If you visit here, comes the understanding that Vietnam is different. And to fully understand it, you need to come here more than once.
