Saigon Opera House (Municipal Theatre)

The Saigon Opera House, also called the Municipal Theatre, stands at 7 Cong Truong Lam Son at the top of Dong Khoi Street in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Completed in 1900 under French colonial rule, the Beaux-Arts building was modelled loosely on the Petit Palais in Paris and originally staged French opera and theatre for the colonial elite. Its facade is among the more photographed colonial buildings in the district, with sculpted figures, curved balconies, ornamental pediments and arched windows rising above a small plaza. The interior is generally accessible only during ticketed performances, so most casual visitors admire the exterior and surrounding square. Today the theatre hosts a programme of classical concerts, ballet and the AO Show, a contemporary circus-style production using bamboo performed by the Saigon Opera House company. Performance tickets are typically sold through the theatre box office or via hbso.org.vn, with prices depending on the show and seat. Seeing the exterior takes only fifteen to twenty minutes, while a performance runs about ninety minutes to two hours. The facade photographs well in early evening when the building is lit, and the plaza in front offers a clear angle for wide shots. Crowds of photographers and wedding parties gather in the late afternoon and on weekends, so early morning is quieter. The theatre sits a short walk from the Continental and Caravelle hotels, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Nguyen Hue Walking Street, so it fits naturally into a walking route through colonial central Saigon. Visitors attending a show should arrive early and dress neatly.