Independence Palace
The former home and workplace of the president of South Vietnam, designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu and now a public hall and museum. Its rooms, from the state chambers to the basement command centre, are kept much as they were in the 1970s.
- Where
- Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 10.7770, 106.6954
Get the Independence Palace stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Independence Palace. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Ho Chi Minh City volume with your photos and a note.
Near Independence Palace
War Remnants Museum 0.5 km
A museum on Vo Van Tan Street in central Saigon given over to the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War. Aircraft, tanks and artillery stand in the courtyard, with photographs and documents in the halls.
Museum of Ho Chi Minh City 0.5 km
A grand colonial mansion once known as Gia Long Palace, set in two hectares of gardens near the Independence Palace. It now tells the history of the city, and its white columned halls are a favourite backdrop for wedding photos.
Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica 0.5 km
A red brick cathedral built by the French between 1877 and 1880, its two bell towers rising 58 metres over central Saigon. The name Notre Dame dates from 1959, when a statue of Our Lady of Peace was set up in its forecourt.
Mariamman Temple 0.5 km
A Hindu temple to the goddess Mariamman, built in the late 19th century by Nagarathar traders from Tamil Nadu. A colourful gopuram rises over the street near Ben Thanh Market, and many Vietnamese come to pray here too.
Ben Thanh Market 0.6 km
One of the oldest surviving buildings in central Saigon and a symbol of the city, its clock tower facing a busy roundabout. Inside are stalls for food, cloth and souvenirs, and after dark the streets around it turn into a night market.
Saigon Central Post Office 0.6 km
A colonial era post office on Paris Commune Square, right beside the cathedral and still in daily use. Inside, under a high arched roof, a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh hangs above the counters and old maps line the walls.
Ho Chi Minh City Hall 0.6 km
A cream and yellow French colonial building at the top of Nguyen Hue Boulevard, the seat of the city government. A statue of Ho Chi Minh stands in the square before it, and the facade is lit up at night.
Sri Thenday Yutthapani Temple 0.8 km
A Hindu temple on Ton That Thiep Street in central Saigon, dedicated to Murugan in his form as Thendayuthapani. It belongs to the small Tamil community whose traders came to the city in the 19th century.
More famous places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City
Questions
Where is Independence Palace?
Independence Palace is in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are War Remnants Museum (0.5 km), Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (0.5 km), Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica (0.5 km).
How do I get the Independence Palace stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Independence Palace and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Ho Chi Minh City volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Independence Palace before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Ho Chi Minh City volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.