Located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, the Central PostOffice is one of the city’s oldest buildings, an attractive destinationfor local and foreign visitors.
It was built between 1886 and 1891, based on the design of famous French architects.
In1860, construction of the building began and it was based on the designof Gustave Eiffel, a popular French architect who has designed Eiffeltower. Three years later the building was put into operation.
However,in 1886, because of its overload, the building was rebuilt under thedesign of Villedieu, also a French architect and was inaugurated in1891. Blending a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and French influences,the 26,000 square metre building fascinates tourists with its typicalFrench colonial features, from exterior to interior decorations.
Visitors feel that they’re in a 20th century railway station in Europe, rather than a post office in Asia.
Thefront of the building is decorated in rectangle cases on which are thenames of the inventors of the telegram and electric professions. On thecases are the pictures of men and women wearing laurel wreaths.
Onthe arc of the building, there is a huge clock with Roman numeralsinstead of numbers. The frames of the windows are designed with engagedpiers, crowned with imaginative human-headed characters. The greenwindow shutters resemble those of any other French colonial building.
“Theclock is checked and cleaned regularly, especially the cogwheels, toensure its accuracy. I really enjoy watching the clock every day, saidBui Nhan Duc, Saigon Central Post Office staff.
Walking inside, the first things visitors notice are the two mapsdescribing the city in the past and a postal route from Vietnam toCambodia.
The busiest post office of Vietnam not only providesthe usual mail services but also offers phones and fax machines forpublic use, as well as sells stamps and souvenirs. The specialty stampscounter of the General Post Office offers some interesting collectorsets for sale.
This post office is famous not only for itsarchitecture but also its wide range of high quality services, Le ThiKieu Oanh, Saigon Central Post Office staff, said adding that it is alsoa tourist attraction in the city.
Visiting the post office,tourists will not forget a man who sits at the end of a long woodentable underneath a mural of Ho Chi Minh, behind the sign “Informationand Writing Assistance”.
Duong Van Ngo has been working as apublic letter writer in both English and French for 23 years. Being thelast letter writer in Saigon, he has many stories of how he hasconnected people across the planet with his fountain pen.
“Though I am 83 years old now, I feel happy to help people writeletters in foreign languages. This job also offers me the chance to talkwith foreigners and introduce the city to them,” Ngo said.
TheCentral Post Office is located near the large shopping centre DiamondPlaza, and the dominating Notre Dame Cathedral. The three buildingstogether make it a popular area in District 1 for visitors.
DavidLucchetti, Italian tourist, said that this is his first time toVietnam. The post office is more beautiful than he saw in photos.
“It is a mixture of French and Asian architecture,” he said.
Atnight, the post office sparkles. At the end of September 2013, France’sLyon city provided technical support to the city in decorating the postoffice with lights.
Despite the development of the internet,mobile phones and home delivery services, people still visit the SaigonCentral Post Office to enjoy not only its postal services but also itsunique architecture.-VNA
It was built between 1886 and 1891, based on the design of famous French architects.
In1860, construction of the building began and it was based on the designof Gustave Eiffel, a popular French architect who has designed Eiffeltower. Three years later the building was put into operation.
However,in 1886, because of its overload, the building was rebuilt under thedesign of Villedieu, also a French architect and was inaugurated in1891. Blending a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and French influences,the 26,000 square metre building fascinates tourists with its typicalFrench colonial features, from exterior to interior decorations.
Visitors feel that they’re in a 20th century railway station in Europe, rather than a post office in Asia.
Thefront of the building is decorated in rectangle cases on which are thenames of the inventors of the telegram and electric professions. On thecases are the pictures of men and women wearing laurel wreaths.
Onthe arc of the building, there is a huge clock with Roman numeralsinstead of numbers. The frames of the windows are designed with engagedpiers, crowned with imaginative human-headed characters. The greenwindow shutters resemble those of any other French colonial building.
“Theclock is checked and cleaned regularly, especially the cogwheels, toensure its accuracy. I really enjoy watching the clock every day, saidBui Nhan Duc, Saigon Central Post Office staff.
Walking inside, the first things visitors notice are the two mapsdescribing the city in the past and a postal route from Vietnam toCambodia.
The busiest post office of Vietnam not only providesthe usual mail services but also offers phones and fax machines forpublic use, as well as sells stamps and souvenirs. The specialty stampscounter of the General Post Office offers some interesting collectorsets for sale.
This post office is famous not only for itsarchitecture but also its wide range of high quality services, Le ThiKieu Oanh, Saigon Central Post Office staff, said adding that it is alsoa tourist attraction in the city.
Visiting the post office,tourists will not forget a man who sits at the end of a long woodentable underneath a mural of Ho Chi Minh, behind the sign “Informationand Writing Assistance”.
Duong Van Ngo has been working as apublic letter writer in both English and French for 23 years. Being thelast letter writer in Saigon, he has many stories of how he hasconnected people across the planet with his fountain pen.
“Though I am 83 years old now, I feel happy to help people writeletters in foreign languages. This job also offers me the chance to talkwith foreigners and introduce the city to them,” Ngo said.
TheCentral Post Office is located near the large shopping centre DiamondPlaza, and the dominating Notre Dame Cathedral. The three buildingstogether make it a popular area in District 1 for visitors.
DavidLucchetti, Italian tourist, said that this is his first time toVietnam. The post office is more beautiful than he saw in photos.
“It is a mixture of French and Asian architecture,” he said.
Atnight, the post office sparkles. At the end of September 2013, France’sLyon city provided technical support to the city in decorating the postoffice with lights.
Despite the development of the internet,mobile phones and home delivery services, people still visit the SaigonCentral Post Office to enjoy not only its postal services but also itsunique architecture.-VNA
