It is impossible not to mention the People’s Committee Building (currently the HCMC Department of Home Affairs) when referring to the famous architectural works in Ho Chi Minh City. As a highlight of the city center, the building is a famous ancient structure that has just been designated a national monument by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It’s an ideal destination for those who fall in love with the beauty of quaint architecture and historic sites of the “Pearl of the Far East”.

Overview of the People’s Committee Building

Address: 86 Le Thanh Ton Street, Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

Opening hours: 07:00 – 17:00 pm, Monday to Friday; closed on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays. 

Over 120 years of its establishment and development, the building has changed its name with each period, serving as a witness to the historical, political, administrative, and geographical changes of Saigon – City Ho Chi Minh.

The building was designed by architect Paul Gardès and was built in 1898 on high ground at the end of Charner Street (now Nguyen Hue Street). It was completed and inaugurated in 1909. This building was the working headquarters of the Saigon City Council, known as the Hôtel de ville (roughly translated as City Hall).

People’s Committee Building
People’s Committee Building

After the Reunification of Vietnam on April 30, 1975, the building was taken over by the Military Administration of Saigon – Gia Dinh City and used as an office. On July 2, 1976, the National Assembly of Vietnam decided to change the name of the city Saigon – Gia Dinh to Ho Chi Minh City. The building is still used as the office of the government of Ho Chi Minh City.

Currently, the building is the headquarters of the People’s Council and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. This place is a regular venue for important meetings and special conferences of the city’s leaders, a place to welcome international delegations to visit and work in Vietnam.

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The unique architecture of the People’s Committee Building

The headquarters is located on a campus covering about 7,500 m², modeled after the Paris City Hall and featuring bell towers in the style of northern France. The middle part is a high, pointed tower, and the two sides have balanced roofs.

People Committee Building
In the middle of the façade is a decorative embossment with the shape of a strong woman and two children taming wild beasts; on both sides are two bas-reliefs of women. These are three clusters of classical-style sculptures that often appear in French town hall towers. Besides its overall architecture and bas-reliefs imbued with French culture, the building also shows harmony with Italian Renaissance architecture, as reflected in the two bell floors on both sides.

People Committee Building
The main gate is a system of 5 consecutive small arched gates, made of elaborate flower-shaped iron, placed in the middle of the building. The front gate is the way for cars to enter the building’s courtyard directly. The decorative patterns on the side gate are quite simple, featuring stylized garlands.

People’s Committee Building
The interior is richly decorated, filling the walls and ceilings with lots of bouquets or wreaths, palm leaves, laurel branches, ribbons, colorful glass paintings or paintings on the ceiling… very fashionable at that time. In addition, the lighting experts designed and installed artistic lighting to make the building even more brilliant.

People’s Committee Building

Tourist attractions near the People’s Committee Building

Source: collected by An

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