The
Central Post Office is at number 2, Paris Commune Street, District 1. This is
one of the oldest buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. The Central Post Office was
built around 1886 – 1891 based on Villedieu’s design, a famous French architect.
Location and history.
Located
right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City - at number 2, Paris Commune Street,
District 1, The Central Post Office is one of the oldest buildings in Ho Chi
Minh City. It was built around 1886 – 1891, based on the design of Gustave
Eiffel – a famous French architect and has become a significant symbol of the
city, just like its opposite neighbor Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral. It has long
been the busiest post office of the country.
A
typical colonial French building
Being
a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and French influences, this building
fascinates tourists by its typical colonial French features, from exterior to
interior decorations. By the first time, visitors may feel that they’re brought
back to 20th century railway station in Europe, rather than a post office in an
Asian country. From its ornate furnishings, gorgeous-pattern-tiled floor to its
massively high ceilings and numerous wickets, all speak of another place in
time. The interior design is even more elegant with the phone booths, which are
just the same since the colonial period.
Walking
inside, the first things you notice are the two maps: Saigonet ses environs,
1892 describing Ho Chi Minh City in the past and Lignes télégraphiques du Sud
Vietnamet du Cambodge which is the postal route from Vietnam to Cambodia. The
building inside is big and airy with a lot of space. The ceiling was designed
with arc shape which was carried by the two rows of steel pillars. This makes
the building look grander and more stable. Also, the building looks just
perfectly in harmony with the outside, considering its arched windows
creatively designed with engaged piers, green window shutters or the main
entrance with intricate ironwork.
Postal Services
The
Post Office offers all kinds of traditional postal services like mailing,
selling postcards or stamps (there is a big array of stamps to choose, which
ranges in price from cheapest ones). Foreign money exchange is also available.
Don’t
ignore Mr. Duong Van Ngo – an old man sitting at the end of a long wooden table
underneath a mural of Ho Chi Minh, behind the sign “Information and Writing
Assistance”. Mr. Ngo has been working here since he was 17, as a polyglot
public letter writer. Being the last letter writer in old Saigon, he’s a source
of stories of how could he connect people across the planet with his fountain
pen.
How to get there
Saigon
Central Post Office is always included in any city tour, as it’s quite easy to
get there on foot, bike or motorbike from other attractions like Reunification
Palace or War Remnants Museum are suggested. It works daily from 6AM to 10 PM.
The
Central Post Office is located near Diamond Plaza, a big shopping venue in Ho
Chi Minh City and Notre Dame Cathedral, an ancient building with beautiful
architecture. The 3 buildings together make it a popular area in District 1 for
foreigners to visit. If you stay in the District 1, it does not take you much
time to walk to these places. You can walk along the road and enjoy many other
beautiful attractions of Ho Chi Minh City.
Pictures
 |
| Central Post Office |
 |
| Central Post Office |
 |
| Central Post Office |