Independence Palace

Dinh Độc Lập

Former presidential palace of South Vietnam and the site where a tank crashed through its gates in 1975, with meeting halls, an underground command room and presidential suites preserved from the 1960s.

Independence Palace was originally the presidential palace of the South Vietnamese government. Designed by Vietnamese architect Ngô Viết Thụ and completed in 1966, it blends modernist architecture with East Asian feng shui concepts. On 30 April 1975, North Vietnamese tanks broke through the iron gates, marking the end of the Vietnam War; two of the tanks are still parked on the lawn. The tour begins on the ground floor with the state banquet hall and the cabinet meeting room. The second floor holds the president's office and reception rooms. The third floor has a cinema screening room and a card room. A UH-1 helicopter sits on the roof. The basement preserves intact the communications command centre, the operations map room and the air-raid shelter. Adult admission is 65,000 Vietnamese dong. A combined ticket for 90,000 dong includes the historical exhibition in the annex. Chinese-language audio guides are available (about 70,000 dong). The whole building retains its 1960s and 70s furniture and furnishings, which appeals to visitors who love retro style. It sits in the centre of District 1, about a five-minute walk from the Notre-Dame Cathedral, with tree-lined Lê Duẩn Boulevard nearby. It is advisable to enter before 9 a.m. to avoid tour groups; allow about 1.5 hours. Note that tickets are not sold from 11:30 to 13:00 at midday, and photography is prohibited in some interior areas.

Independence Palace

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