Opera House – Saigon – Ho Chi Minh attraction

What to explore in District 1 – Saigon

Located at 7 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, next to Dong Khoi Street overlooking Le Loi Street, the Opera House is a central and multi-purpose theater with the task of organizing courtyard art performances. along with some important events.

Opera House – Popular attraction in District 1

 ( Saigon Opera House at night )

Originally from 1863, to be able to serve the expeditionary army, the French had a plan to bring singing troupes from France to perform. Initially, the auditorium was the wooden house of the Admiral at the Clockwork Square (Place de l’Horloge – the corner of Nguyen Du – Dong Khoi today), then a temporary theater was established at this location. The Caravelle Hotel. It was not until 1898 that the French built an official theater next to the temporary theater, according to the design of a collective of architects including Félix Olivier, Ernest Guichard and Eugène Ferret with typical flamboyant architecture of the Third Republic. France. The building was solemnly inaugurated in early 1900.

By design, the Theater consists of a ground floor and two floors with about 1,800 seats, equipped with modern sound and light. The decorative patterns and reliefs from the inside to the outside were all painted by a famous French artist in the form of theaters in France at the end of the 19th century, especially the front door was clearly influenced by the decorative arts of the French. Petit Palais in France was built the same year. As soon as it was formed, the facade decoration was criticized by many people. Many people think that it is too overused in the decoration style, leading to unnecessary confusion. In 1943, some decorative details such as artistic goddess statue, flower rows, two lamps … were removed to create a more airy and youthful look for the Theater.

In 1944, due to being bombarded by allied aircraft with much damage, the Theater had to be shut down. Later, when the French reconquered Indochina, due to the war situation, the Theater did not receive much attention to repair. In 1954, this place became a temporary residence for the French from the North to migrate to the South under the agreement of the Geneva Agreement. Through 1955, the Theater was renovated and converted into the National Assembly headquarters. When the South organized the National Assembly into two houses (Senate and House of Representatives), this was the headquarters of the House of Representatives. After 1975, the Theater was restored to its original function as a venue for art performances.

Source: Collected from Mai Kim Thanh writer 

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