The Architecture of Central Saigon: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

This self-guided audio tour starts at Notre Dame Cathedral, a colonial copy of its counterpart in Paris, but with its own cultural elements and local superstitions.

You’ll explore the Saigon Central Post Office, a neo-baroque facade that flaunts flashes of French Indochina, and the neo-classical Justice Building, with Ionic and Corinthian columns straight out of Ancient Greece.

Discover how climate-responsive design was incorporated into buildings like the Independence Palace and General Sciences Library, naturally cooling buildings before air conditioning

On this walking tour, you’ll explore the city’s built heritage, from French edifices to groundbreaking modernist landmarks. You’ll also catch glimpses of the biophilia taking root in a city that is increasingly dominated by glass and steel.

Discover how climate-responsive design was incorporated into buildings like the Independence Palace and General Sciences Library, naturally cooling buildings before air conditioning

Visit a rare pre-colonial tomb tucked away in the city’s central park

Explore the curved corner apartment building at 218 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, an example of Saigon’s endangered modernist heritage

Examine how Vietnamese modernist architects incorporated traditional symbols like Chinese characters and dragon imagery into their progressive designs