Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) Independence Palace

Let's continue my walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon. Immediately after lunch, we strolled to cross the road from Quan Ngon 138 (Ngon 138 Restaurant) to the Independence Palace (Dinh Độc Lập). For a location reference, you can look back at the lower left quadrant of the map in my previous post.

This is an interesting place, not just the building and/or its physical surroundings but also the history of how it came to be and how it ceased to be. I was grateful I visited with a knowledgeable tour guide.

You will notice, sa simula at sa ending ng story nila eh, aba me eksina ang Pilipinas! So keep reading!

Like all that I saw earlier on this walking tour, this palace is a 'must see' for Saigon's visitors. This is it:

K-pop ang bagets na yan. Natawa kami ng aking tour guide bakit ganyan ang tayo niya. Mahirap yan a! FYI, I didn't click to take his pic. Nainip na lang ako, antagal nya nakatayo, eh agawan mag-pose dyan!

Ayos din di ba? Unique ang Grand Palace picture ko, me "heel-standing" bagets. Ipa-uso yan, now na!

We walked around this expansive lawn/park/whatever as my tourguide told me historical facets. And, I was glad she started my learnings from Saigon's very beginning! That's why we walked leisurely slow!

She started with telling me that Vietnam is a "Socialist Republic". Paktaylo! Nose-bleed na agad! Thus, I asked what it meant! No no no, I was not 'just testing' her. I thought all along Vietnam is 'communist', so I asked what's the diff! She said 'to explain well' she better start way before that. I said 'sige gorah'!

So noon pa man pala, even before the French colonizers arrived, Đại Việt was already divided into two kingdoms, the North (Đàng Ngoài or Tongkin) and the South (Đàng Trong or Nam Hà) dahil sa hidwaan ng (you guessed it) dalawang magkaaway na pamilyang natira, matapos ang sandosenang nagrambol!

Their internal north-versus-south conflict notwithstanding, inaligiran na rin sila ng mga banyaga, first for trade and commerce, but alams na, hoping to conquer and colonize. Sablay ang Portuguese noong 1500s, kaya sa Macau at Nagasaki na lang namalagi. Nag-try din ang Dutch at English, ngunit di kinaya!

At the same time, ganun din ang mga French. Pa-trading-trading ng matagal, until missionaries na ang umiikot at nagkakalat ng bibliya, at dumami na ang kanilang mga kampon. Aw, okay kasapi pala hehe!

Adto na, naalarma na ang mga alagad ni Nguyen at ikinulong nila ang maraming Catholic Missionaries (Franciscans/Dominicans) from the Propaganda Fide. Syempre, to the rescue ang French Navy. War na!

Sino talo? Vietnam syempre. But in one of their battles, there's what they call the 'Siege of Tourane' in Danang, where the foreigners lost. Sino sila? French, Spanish and 300+ Filipinos. Ha? Paano nasangkot si Juan Dela Croix dyan? Weh syempre, tinangay ni Padre Damaso, "upang ipagtanggol ang simbahan"!

Imagine that, 1858 pa lang, sumasabak na ang mga ninuno natin sa giyera ng me giyera - sa malayong lupain - dahil mga alipin sila noon. Ang tanong, nakauwi ba sila sa Pilipinas, o pumanaw na sa giyera?

See?! Me kinalaman pala tayo sa history nila! Ah, hindi pa yan. Just keep reading!

Anyway, southern Vietnam eventually lost, and became a Fench Colony. They built this palace in 1868, done in 1871, to become the Residence of the Governor-General of Indochina, in the middle of Saigon.

It was named Norodom Palace (Palais Norodom), but it was interchangeably referred to as Indochina Governor-General's Palace, Saigon (Palais du Gouverneur général d'Indochine, Saigon). Ang hahabaa!

The first floor were offices and receiving areas for visitors and dignitaries. The governor lived upstairs. But during WWII, it became the Japanese Headquarters. Then returned to the French goverment when the Japs surrendered. In 1954, it then became the seat of government of the new South Vietnam when the French withdrew. It was at this time that the name Independence Palace was created (still in use).

Now this is important: In 1962, this palace was bombed in a coup d'etat which destroyed the left wing. It was rebuilt and re-inaugurated in 1967, once again as South Vietnam President's Official Residence.

In 1975 (Vietnam War), it was seized by North Vietnam Liberation Army, where 2 tanks crashed through the gates. Since they won, and their head offices are in Hanoi, this building was made into a museum.

I exclaimed "wow, how do you know all that?" and my cute guide laughed saying "school"!

Oo nga naman, ano? So ganun na nga! But why my long 'history' story here?

Because, that is a prelude to the 'communist point of view' that is portraying this building now, na 'di nila 'like', pero kanila na, kasi sila ang nanalo at namumuno sa Vietnam ngayon. This is their 'trophy'!

Note: na-engross na si tourguide ko about telling me their history.., but my question wasn't answered yet - bakit sila tinatawag na socialist republic at hindi communist? No problem, busy sya sa details ng tour ko, I instead asked other people and learned that 'socialist' is more acceptable than 'communist'.

Acceptable to who? Oh, to the south that they have just conquered; and more importantly to the non-communist countries that they want to economically correspond or transact-with, in order to survive.

Okay now, let's proceed with our tour of this Independence Palace grounds. We passed by this...

The writings are in Vietnamese (left), English (middle) and French (right). Mahirap basahin? I'll do it!

An F5E Fighter Aircraft
On April 8, 1975, Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Trung, a member
of the Communist Party of Vietnam, secretly infiltrated the
Southern Republic's airforce, and carried out a bombing raid
on the palace, in an aircraft like this one.

This F5E is a reconstruction of the successor to the F5A, the
American fighter aircraft manufactured by the US firm
Northrop. It was equipped with an in-flight refueling
device, airborne target determination radar, two 20mm air
cannons, and two guided missile launchers. It could carry a
bomb payload of 3,178kgs and 560 rounds of ammunitions.

The southern army used these fighters for aerial combat as
well as ground and sea bombing missions and supply runs.

This is that very place that Nguyen Thanh Trung bombed. It appears that this display is a 'pasikat nila' kung papano nila natalo at nasakop ang South Vietnam, with Saigon as the capital, na ito mismo yun!

Parang hindi normal na paraan ng "reunification" ano? More on parang pang-aalaska! Anyway...

We moved to the next display, a few steps from that mock-up fighter jet. Kuha ko agad ang peg!

Those two military tanks aren't there just for decorative purposes. They were part of South Vietnam's tragic past that their government of today, must put on display, to remind everybody of April 30, 1975!

The mesasge I read in that display is, parang as if to tell the Americans and the South Vietnamese na: "itong dalawang tangkeng ito ang ginamit naming pang-gulat sa inyo nang lumusob kami, kaya olats na kayo, kami na ang mga boss at maghahari todits, mula ngayon until forever and ever, maliwanag?"

But you already know that, right? How the Vietnam War ended? Na medyo 'special mention' tayo!

Ito pa nasagap ko...
Tank 843, iyang nasa harapan, is a T-54/55 tank na gawa ng Soviet Union. It rammed the auxiliary gate at 10:45AM. After that, Tank 390, yung nasa likod ng puno, a T-59 tank na gawa ng China, ang sunod na bumulusok naman sa main gate. Yung driver nyan ang tumakbo paakyat sa roofdeck, then pinalitan si flag ng Republic of South Vietnam, with their own North Vietnam National Liberation Front (NLF) Flag.

Tapos ang usapan! Surrenderan na! The Fall of Saigon na!

And the winner (communist north) started calling this The Reunification Palace.

Ang masaya.., iyang dalawang tangkeng yan, naging ugat pa pala ng matinding bangayan, between the Soviet Union and China. Bakit ba kamo? Haizt! Pareho gusto ipangalandakan na tangke nila ang nauna lumusob sa premises na ito! Parang mga bata 'no? Oist, nakita ko sa video, one of the tanks struggled to cross the fence! Kung si 843 (ke Soviet) o si 390 (ke China) man yan, yun ang dapat ikahiya. Mahina!

Tara na nga, let's enter na the Independence Palace or Reunification Palace whatever! Actually at this point of our tour, I wasn't anymore interested to go on. I already kind of expected what to see - not a true museum of historical facts and figures but a propaganda display kung gaano kagaling ang north!

Style 'mainland' 'no? Eh yon ang idol nila eh!

This was The Cabinet Room. Cabinet nino? Ni South Vietnam or ni North Vietnam na?

She told me she's not sure, because the new leaders (the winners, the communists) may have already altered things here since they've 'conquered' this place in 1976! I like the airyness of the place though!

The State Banquet Hall. Guide told me that this, and some other rooms, are still used these days.

How? In what way? For various government sponsored receptions and/or official functions. Nice one.

The Conference Room. Guide also told me this is not always how this big wide room looks.

She said last time she was here, the arrangement was just all normal chairs facing front arranged like in a meeting or conference. This room can accommodate up to 500 people (conference configuration).

This enormous mural on one of the walls caught my attention. It's just too OMG tall and wide!

Whatever that depiction means, it must have taken a long time to do. That is on a kind of cloth btw!

The hallways all around this building have very good views of the yards and other things outside.

Not sure since we didn't go to that part, but that (I think) is a restaurant with souvenir items on sale.

The National Security Council Chamber (also a map room) right beside the President's Office.

Presidential office. Signage tells about Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, sitting president of South Vietnam in 1975.

Of course I asked if there really were no chairs in front of that presidential table. Wala daw! Really? Ah sige, pag ako naging presidente, gagayahin ko yan! Maybe discussions are done at the receiving room.

But there's a tête à tête corner across that presidential table. Yes, still inside the presidential office.

A 'secret passage' direct from the Presiential office to the bunker area downstairs.

So that was the actual office of their South Vietnam President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu when it was attacked by the tanks, and overthrown by North Vietnam? It says he resigned from the said office on 21APR1975.

Ang tanong: ba't pa nilusob ang palace na'to on the 30th eh nag-resign na naman pala ang presidente on the 21st? Hmm...? Actually hindi "resign", parang "surrender" na nga, kasi nag-radio announcement pa, kesyo mga Viet Cong na ang new leaders. Then after 9 days the tanks attacked? Pakitang tao lang?

Haruy!

Anyway, in any of the hallways, in any floor, the views to the outside are beautifully panoramic.

From the hallway outside the president's office, peep between the artsy cladding for wonderful views.

And this is that view... overlooking the circular front lawn and the main gate where we entered.

That is where the 2 tanks entered in their 30APR1975 attack, crashing through the gates and the fence.

And then what? All that the guide knows (and any staff I asked in this building), was that the driver of one of the 2 tanks, ran to the roof deck (that's 5 floors), to purportedly replace the South Vietnam Flag with their North Vietnam Flag. Parang heroic fantastic na pang-movie ang "the moves" 'no? Incredible!

Ang tanong: wasn't he ever challenged, considering that this was the presidential office? If he was not challenged by anyone in Independence Palace where the office of the president was, all the more that they must have been tolerated on the streets, since nag-resign na nga ang president noong 21st diba?

So, ba't pa kelangan banggain yung gate? At bakit andaming media from inside and outside that gate? (I saw it in the videos) Wheh! All the more duda ako sa "tank attack" nila! It was therefore, just staged!

Bilib na sana ako, drama lang pala! Sayang ang gate, at kakahiya yung tankeng sumabit dun hahaha!

Nothing in particular about this thing. I just felt like I saw something like this somewhere also in Asia.

A friend once told me that is called a 'floor medallion', popular even before the byzantine era.

Oh, this one is an 'OMG wow' in terms of size and quality! It's a thick carpet, at the 2nd floor lobby.

The Ambassadors' Chamber. Where new ambassadors presented their credentials to the president.

That painting is composed of 40 separate small panels. The golden 'vessels' on the sides are actually sconces, and are supposed to be lighted when ambassadorial presentation ceremonies occur. Grand!

Signage says, that room was last used for such an ambassadorial presentation ceremony in 18APR1975 when the newly appointed Japanese Ambassador, Hiroshi Hitomi was received (by Nguyễn Văn Thiệu).

Not mentioned by the signage, pero nalaman ko rin naman, na wala pang 2 months, that ambassador was sent home to Japan by the Viet Congs! Bakit? Ah eh, di ko pa naitatanong, baka 'di lang nila type!

Private dining area inside the President's room. There's a bigger rectangular table for 8 beside this.

For intimate dinners with 'other than family', round table when w/ Asians, rectangular w/ westerners.

A mini-garden inside the building (surrounded by the president's room, dining area and other rooms).

I like that style of experiencing the outdoors, without going out of office buildings - or even homes.

One of the hallways surrounding that square little garden...

The artworks are some of the gifts received by Nguyễn Văn Thiệu as President of South Vietnam.

The Vice-President's Office.

I wished to go near that big wide artwork on the wall. It's very long, even angles to the right side wall.

But rooms are cordoned-off with velvet ropes. No can do! This is the receiving room of the VP's office.

It looked to me like the VP's office is/was 'livelier' and 'more attractive' than that of the president!

Another level up is The Library.

That's a spacious library but there's only that (presidential?) table and that little (secretary's desk?) at left. It would probably be safe to assume (I do) that this room was the president's own/private library.

Next door is the First Lady's reception room (also very wide, pwede magparty at magsayawan sa loob. But I was not able to take a pic kahit isa man lang, kasi ang daming tao nagkalat (hindi sya off limits).

A view of the palace front gounds, from the third level of the building.

Just like from the second level (above), it's a very wide area that can't fit on a normal phone camera's lens. My young guide told me to try "panoramic setting". Ayan, nakuha nga ng buo, hindi naman bilog!

Also on the third level is/was their movie theater room. Oh ha?! 7 rows by 6 seats. Malaki!

They probably used this 'sinehan' not only 'privately', but probably with the cabinet or some friends.

I smiled entering this room. Why? Because I told my self "few of my readers would know what this is!

Okay my dearest Gen X Y Z whateverrr (who don't know what on earth are those), that's the inside of a 'projection room' and those two humungous metal and steel objects are called the 'movie projectors'!

And this is the 'sound (and lights) booth' still inside the same room, usually beside the projectors.

In that desk console, the panel at right is a 'turntable' - if you don't know what it is, ask your aprents! The bank of knobs, dials and switches in the center is the 'amplifier' - the other most important thing in a movie house, other than the films being projected! And that panel at left is (I think) for the lights!

If you noticed, there is a glass-window behind the amplifier system. What you see beyond that, is the movie screen at the other end of the room (front of the viewers, as projection rooms are at the back).

Actually, if you get a chance to visit a projection room of any movie house of today, they are not really much different - probably just a bit more modern in terms of equipment or amplifier consoles in use!

Teka, mag-nostalgia tayo...
In my younger years, I've seen a number of projection rooms, maybe because I was just so inquisitive (atrevida nga kasi!) and/or I just happened to have known folks with access to such 'off limits' places!

I have seen the projection rooms of movie houses like "United", "Jim", "Cinex", "Iris", "Rovic Gold Ruby & Jade" and so on. Kung nasaan ang mga yon, kayo na bahala magresearch o magtanungtanong hehe!

Well, when SM North EDSA was new, I also got to see their projection rooms because they were eager to show the public how modern their equipment setup was! But I have also seen those at Ali Mall and ACT Theatres. My observation: they all looked the same - hot, noisy rooms due to machines churning!

If my memory still serves me right, I think there was even an old (dilapidating) projection room at the AS Theater of UP Diliman's Palma Hall. Oo inaamin ko, wala pang UP Theatre or UP Film Center noon!

Anyway, balik tayo sa Vietnam, this Independence Palace also had this spacious game room...

There's a mahjong table at left, all the rest are many kinds of lounge and coffee table sets. So I guess, this also doubled as cocktail/bar area - out in the hallway there's a grand piano and a billiards table!

There was always a helicopter on the roof, for use of the president anytime needed. This is a mockup.

The VP also used the same helipad for his helicopter flights. The 2 red circles mark the spot where the two bombs landed on 08APR1975, dropped by a Viet Cong spy that infiltrated West Vietnam's Air Force.

Saigon's tallest building, Landmark 81, can be seen from the roof deck of Independence Palace...

I didn't go there, but my guide told me, that the 81 in its name is the number of floors in that edifice!

From the roof deck, directional signs point you to take the stairst all the way down to the "Bunker".

As expeted, the communications/emergency equipment of their time are all there. There's also a "war room" and the president's bed in that basement. There are stairs going further down but is 'off limits'.

The directional signs direct you instead up to the ground level (to exit) but passing by the kitchen!

It is(was) a well equipped kitchen with many industrial grade kinds of equipmet - fit for a president!

Also at ground level are video rooms labeled according to language. Syempre dun ako sa English!

If you're keen about their story, as told by the present communist government, do not skip this part.

While watching the videos, you will realize why during those years, Vietnamese boats loaded with lots of people, kept arriving on the shores of Palawan (Philippines) and the reasons why they left Vietnam.

It's not explicitly mentioned (since those videos are being shown by communists now ruling Vietnam), but if you pay attention to the hardships suffered by civilian people from the south, you'll understand how hard it was for them who left their country discreetly, and why we received them w/ compassion.

Sila (boat people) ang dahilan bakit me masarap na Chao Long w/ French Bread sa Puerto Princesa!

Di ba ang ganda ng story?! Nagkaroon tayo ng masarap na dinadayo pa sa Palawan!

My entrance ticket to the Independence Palace aka Reunification Palace.

That's it pusit! Let's talk about something else (maybe my hotel?) in the next story!

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