Completed in 1891, the Central Post Office is often popularly (though imprecisely) linked to Gustave Eiffel, and remains a fully working post office beneath its high vaulted hall lined with historic maps of Cochinchina and Saigon dating to the colonial period. Its wooden phone booths and portrait of Ho Chi Minh at the rear of the hall bridge the colonial and post-independence eras within a single preserved space, making it a rare building where two very different chapters of the city's history sit side by side.
| Admission | Free |
|---|---|
| Hours | 7:00am-7:00pm Monday-Friday, 7:00am-6:00pm weekends |
| Address | 2 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City |
Why it matters
One of the best-preserved examples of French colonial civic architecture in the city, still functioning as a post office
Site facts
- Built
- 1891
- Style
- French colonial with neoclassical and Gothic influences
Location
2 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
10.7799, 106.6996 View on map
Highlights
- Vaulted 19th-century hall with colonial-era maps
- Original wooden phone booths
- Still-functioning postal counters
Tips for visiting
- Combine with Notre-Dame Cathedral directly across the street
- Mail a postcard from the historic counters for a tangible souvenir
When to visit
Weekday mornings
Accessibility
Ground-level entrance and hall are wheelchair accessible.
Frequently asked questions
Did Gustave Eiffel design this building?
The building is popularly attributed in part to Eiffel's firm, though architect Alfred Foulhoux is the more commonly credited designer.