HCM/SAIGON - THE REUNIFICATION PALACE

1. THE REUNIFICATION PALACE
A brief of history
On February 23rd, 1868, Lagrandiere, French Governor in South Vietnam, laid
the foundation stone on the ground of 12 hectares in the center of Saigon City to build
the Indochina Governor Palace called Norodom Palace.
The palace was built according to the classical Western architecture mixed with
some romantic features of the 18th century and was inaugurated in 1871.
On May 7th, 1954, being defeated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, the French
had to sign the Geneva Agreement and withdrew from Vietnam. After that, the
Americans tried to implement their intention of invading the South. Vietnam was
temporarily divided into two regions: North Vietnam was the Democractic Republic
of Vietnam and South Vietnam was the Republic of Vietnam.
On September 7th, 1954, Norodom Palace was handed over by the
representative of the French government Lieutenant – General Paul Ely, and that of
the Saigon authorities, to Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem, who decided to change its
name to Independence Palace. Since then, Independence Palace became the residence
of Ngo Dinh Diem’s family and a place where several political events happened.
On February 27th, 1962, two pilots of the coup d’etat group who belonged to
the Saigon Army, Nguyen Van Cu and Pham Phu Quoc were flying two AD6 war
planes. They bombed and completely destroyed the left wing if the Independence
Palace. Ngo Dinh Diem ordered the demolition of the former palace and the building
of a new palace on the same site. It was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu who
won the Roman Grand Prize. Ngo Viet Thu harmoniously combined modern
architecture and oriental traditional architecture.
President of the Republic of Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, decided to rebuil the
Palace on July 1st 1962. However, he was assasinated on November 2nd 1963 by a
coup d’etat. The chairman of the inauguration ceremony day on October 31st 1966
were Lieutenant – General Nguyen Van Thieu (Chairman of the National Leadership
of Committee) and Major – General Nguyen Cao Ky (Chairman of the Central
Executive Committee). From that time, the Independence Palace was a central organ
of the Saigon Administration, where president Nguyen Van Thieu made many policies
against the Vietnamese people.
On April 30th 1975, the 1st tank of Liberation Army No.390 crashed through the
main gate of Independence Palace. At half pass eleven the same day, Lieutenant Bui
Quang Than, Company Chief commanding tank No.843 lowered the three – striped
flag of the Saigon government and hoisted the flag of Provisional Revolutionary
Government of the Republic of Vietnam. It ended the arduous and heroic 30 years’
war of the Vietnam people under leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party and
carrying out the wish of President Ho Chi Minh: the people of North and South
regions were reunited.

2. In November 1975, the Political Consultative Conference for the national
reunification was held in here. Since then, Independence Palace has become the
Reunification Meeting Hall.
Nowadays, Independence Palace is used for many functions: Government’s
meetings, receptions of Heads of State and a national cutural historical relic where
many domestic and foreign visitors pay to visit to.
External architecture
The overall facade of the building is made as to express CAT, a Chinese
character meaning good future. The center of the Palace is the Credentials Presenting
Room, the top floor is “Tu Phuong Vo Su Lau” – the floor of Peaceful Cardinal Points
with the Chinese character KHAU in order to highlight education and freedom. The
Chinese character KHAU with a flagpole in the middle like a vertical strait, forms the
character TRUNG (center). The 4th floor called four directions tower was not used for
receptions or entertainment. It is reserved only for the Head of State to set his mind at
ease when deciding the fate of the country. The horizontal lines created by the eave of
the Floor of Four Cardinal Points, the balcony of honor and eave over the entrance to
the vestibule form the character TAM, symbolizing three aspects of democracy
humanity, wisdom, boldness. The three horizontal lines are linked with a vertical line
and form the character VUONG, means King, flag tower above forms the character
CHU (sovereignty) symbolizing the independence of the country. The facade of the
palace, the balconies of the 2nd and 3rd floor, the eave over the main entrance, and two
pillars covered with wood under the eave, form the character HUNG (properity),
symbolizing the country’s hope for prosperity.
The architectural beauty of the palace is embodied in the flower stone curtain
bearing shapes of bamboo joints surrounding the 2nd floor. It not only increases the
beauty of the palace but also admits sunlight from the East.
Each embodied picture is a world of art that both ornamental effect and joint
the window above and below, creating a mass to enhance the Palace’s beauty.
The useable surface area of Independence is 20.000 square meters. It includes a
basement, ground floor, three main floors, two mezzanines and one terrace with 95
rooms with different decorations. Materials for contruction includes 12.000 cubic
meters of concrete, 200 cubic meters of precious wood, 200 square meters glass for
doors and windows and 4000 lights of all kinds. Beside the purpose of making the
foundation functional, the architect also created the harmony between the structure
and nature in the garden of 12 hectares.
Instruction
1st floor
 Conference hall
 Cabinet meeting room
 Banquet room
2nd floor
 The map room

3.  The office of the President of Republic of Vietnam
 The President’s International reception room
 The President’s National reception room
 The Vice – President’s reception room
 Credentials presenting room
 Bedroom
 Dining room
3rd floor
 Library
 The First Lady’s banquet room
 Movie and theater
 Gambling room
 Heliport
4th floor
 Dancing floor
 Minibar
Basement for military activities and bomb shelter
 Commanding room
 Communication officers’ offices
 The President’s bedroom
 The President’s war room
Ground floor
 Kitchen
 Exhibition room of photos related to Independence Palace
 Foreign languages video room
 Shooting gallery