Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City

The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Gustave Eiffel – the renowned engineer who also designed the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower – and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.


 

The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh was constructed between 1886 and 1891 and once inside, the looping arches, intricately designed marble floors and antiquated telephone boxes all serve as a reminder of the importance the post office played in days before email and mobile phones. Although the architecture is distinctly French, the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh hanging high above everyone at the far end of the building reminds everyone we are definitely in Vietnam. Painted onto walls overhead are two maps of the region; one of them showing the telegraph lines that crisscross Vietnam and Cambodia and the other displaying a map of the Saigon region in 1892.

 

 

Although the experience is a fascinating glimpse into history, the fact that this is still a functioning post office makes the experience even sweeter, and we encourage everyone to send a letter or postcard from here – it’s a piece of living history where even the old fashioned glue pots are still in use for sticking stamps to letters. There are two wings branching out from the main office, selling souvenirs, postcards and lacquerware but the prices are inflated and the same products can probably be found elsewhere for a better price.

Central Post Office

Opening Hours: 7am to 8pm

Location: 2 Công xã Paris, District 1

See more

  • Ho Chi Minh City Zoo & Botanical Gardens

    Founded more than 100 years ago, Ho Chi Minh City Zoo and Botanical Gardens (aka Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens) are listed as one of the oldest zoos in the world, opened...

  • My Khe beach

    The Mother Nature has endowed Danang dynamic city with the unique and stunning beauty of My Khe beach. My Khe Beach is recognized as one of the most beautiful beach of...

  • Hoi An Museum of History & Culture

    Where the Thu Bon River flows directly into the East China Sea, Hoi An was once one of the major Asian trade hubs. From the 16th to 18th century merchants visited from across...

  • Fansipan mountain Sapa

    The Mount Fasipan is located in Lao Cai province, about 9km southwest of Sapa town. It belongs to the mountain range Hoang Lien Son, located in the northwest of Vietnam and...

  • Tra Su Indigo Forest

    Tra Su Indigo Forest symbolizes for the beauty of An Giang's flooding season with flooded mangrove forest habitat and abundant flora and fauna. Tra Su Indigo Forest...

  • Hon Chong Promontory

    Hon Chong Promontory is one of the most famous attractions in Nha Trang with the perfect combiantion between rocky mountain and beautiful beach. Coming to Hon Chong...

  • Bai Dinh Pagoda

    Bai Dinh Pagoda is famous for its great size and is a cluster of Buddhist architectural structures, consisting of new, giant and imposing temples of the newly-built Bai...

  • Saint Joseph Cathedral

    Saint Joseph Cathedral, located at 40 Nha Chung street, Hanoi, is a Roman Catholic cathedral with neo- gothic style, which was built about 120 years ago.

  • Giac Lam Pagoda

    Giac Lam Pagoda, built in 1744, is the oldest Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City and as such was listed as an important historical site by the Vietnamese Department of...

  • Ham Rong mountain

    Being shaped like a dragon’s head dimly looming in the thin veil of the early morning, Ham Rong (Dragon Jaw) Mountain that is fine combination of man-made and natural...

Most popular tours

Business info

  • Vietnam Local Guide

  • Address: 18th Floor, VTC Online Tower, 18 Tam Trinh Str.,Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi, Vietnam
  • Email: info@vietnamguider.com
  • Phone: (+84) 0904989890
  • Hotline: (+84) 0904989890