Presidential Palace

During my visit to Vietnam we visited the former Presidential Palace in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). This was the South Vietnamese White House at one time.

There was no air conditioning in this building and I found it interesting how such a building would have large open windows throughout. There was frequently a pleasant breeze blowing through the building.

For the most part, the inside of the building was restored to the way that it was when it was the headquarters of the South Vietnamese Government. We could visit the former offices of the president and vice-president. We also visited the president’s former residence.

There are also reminders of the reunification, as they refer to it. There are markers in the building to show where a defecting South Vietnamese figher pilot dropped a bomb onto the palace. On the grounds of the palace are the two North Vietnamese tanks which first crashed through the gates during the fall of Saigon.

In the basement of the building are the command centers from which military operations were directed during the war.

There is also a small theater which shows a film about the history of the Vietnam War. It has a less than subtle anti-American tone.