Reunification Palace

Reunification Palace at 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia in District 1 is among the most significant historic buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Built in 1966 as the presidential palace of South Vietnam, it is preserved largely as it was on 30 April 1975, when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the front gates and ended the war. The modernist building, set in landscaped grounds, is laid out on several floors, and visitors move through a route of formal rooms. These include the president's reception rooms, the cabinet and conference rooms, the ambassadorial reception hall and the private living quarters, all furnished in period style from the 1960s and 1970s. The upper floors hold a games room and a small cinema, while the roof has a helipad. The basement is among the most interesting areas, containing the original telecommunications centre, war room and command bunker with maps, radios and period equipment intact. Tanks of the type used in the 1975 assault are displayed on the lawn near the gates. The visit typically takes between one and a half and two hours. The palace opens in the morning, closes for a lunch break and reopens in the afternoon, so timing matters. Arriving at opening gives cooler temperatures and fewer tour groups, since groups tend to arrive mid-morning. Guided tours in several languages are available at the site, and printed or audio information helps explain the rooms. The grounds are a pleasant place to walk, and the front gates are a popular photo spot. The palace sits about fifteen minutes on foot from Ben Thanh Market and close to Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, so it pairs naturally with a walking tour of colonial-era District 1.