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

  • Non Nuoc Beach

    Non Nuoc Beach in Da Nang takes up five kilometres of Hoa Hai Ward’s coastline, featuring soft white sands, a gentle slope, unpolluted waters and mild waves all year...

    Read more

  • Water Puppet Shows in Ho Chi Minh

    Traditional Vietnamese Water Puppet Shows remain one of the cultural draws for most travellers to Ho Chi Minh City. 

    Read more

  • Bach Thao Park

    Bach Thao means “hundreds of plants” and like its name, the park is one of the few green areas in the increasingly industrialized city of Hanoi. Bach Thao Park or...

    Read more

  • Thien Mu pagoda

    If Hanoi has One-pillar pagoda, Hue is renowned for its Thien Mu pagoda. The architecture, location and history makes Thien Mu pagoda among the top attractions to see in Hue.

    Read more

  • Sapa market

    In the early morning, streets in Sapa downtown are filled with hundreds of Hmong and Red Dao people in colorful ethnic attire heading to Sapa market. The traditional Sunday...

    Read more

  • Po Sha Nu Tower

    Po Sha Nu Tower is an ancient relic that was built in the late 8 th century and early 9 th century at Cham Kingdom. This tower has a sophistication and unique architecture...

    Read more

  • Hanoi Opera House

    Undoubtedly, Hanoi Opera House is the most famous cultural and architectural monuments of Hanoi. Also, it is the biggest theater in Vietnam built in 1911. There have been so...

    Read more

  • Hanoi Ancient House at 87 Ma May Street

    Located within Hanoi Old Quarter, the ancient house at 87 Ma May street which was built at the late of the Twentieth century, is quite intact with typical architecture of...

    Read more

  • The perfume Pagoda

    The Perfume Pagoda (Chùa Hương) is a vast complex of Buddhist temples and shrines built into the limestone Huong Tich Mountains.

    Read more

  • Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple

    There are many beautiful sights in Hanoi but the most attractive sight may be Hoan Kiem Lake. Many people say that “Hoan Kiem Lake is the heart of Hanoi , the...

    Read more

Destinations

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