{"id":10626,"date":"2022-03-16T17:07:51","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T09:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=10626"},"modified":"2022-03-16T17:56:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T09:56:11","slug":"saigon-lost-landmarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/saigon-lost-landmarks\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Saigon Landmarks That Are No More: From A French Priest’s Vietnamese Tomb To Imperial Citadels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lost historical landmarks of Saigon<\/h2>\n
\n

Saigon\u2019s appearance has changed dramatically through more than 300 eventful years of its existence. Unfortunately, that means the number of Saigon’s lost landmarks<\/strong> are a lot more than a few.<\/span><\/p>\n

To help you have a better image of what the city looked like in the past, we have gathered a list of<\/span> some lost historical landmarks of Saigon and what stands in their place today. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

1. The tomb of Pigneau de B\u00e9haine – now a busy roundabout<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Pigneau
\nPigneau de B\u00e9haine\u2019s Tomb in 1866.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Pigneau de B\u00e9haine<\/b> was a French priest who helped Emperor Nguy\u1ec5n \u00c1nh, known as Gia Long since 1802, build his empire. After de B\u00e9haine\u2019s death from a disease in 1799, Nguy\u1ec5n \u00c1nh had a <\/span>tomb <\/b>built for him near T\u00e2n S\u01a1n Nh\u1ea5t, Gia \u0110\u1ecbnh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pigneau
\nThe seal of Pigneau de B\u00e9haine in the altar house.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Though Pigneau de B\u00e9haine was a Frenchman, his tomb had architecture similar to tombs of of the Vietnamese elite at that time. In fact, it included the main altar house with a complex system of wooden pillars and roof beams, and a ceramic tiled roof decorated with Asian dragon figures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In front of the altar house was a huge <\/span>stone screen<\/span> celebrating Pigneau de B\u00e9haine\u2019s support towards the Nguy\u1ec5n Dynasty. As described by the scholar Ph\u1ea1m Qu\u1ef3nh, Pigneau de B\u00e9haine\u2019s stone tomb was placed at the altar house. On its left and right were the smaller tombs of priests Charbonnier and Miche respectively that were added later.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lang
\nThe location of this tomb is now a big roundabout with a globe in the middle.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>VnExpress<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 1983, the tomb was demolished due to a new urban plan. The priests\u2019 remains were returned to the French Embassy. <\/span>Then<\/span> the area where the tomb once stood was then renovated into a roundabout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though the tomb is no longer there, the locals still call the roundabout <\/span>L\u0103ng Cha C\u1ea3<\/span><\/i>, or the Great Priest Roundabout. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

2. Marais Boresse – now Saigon\u2019s symbolic marketplace<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Marais
\nMarais Boress was filled with swamps and cottages. This part of Marais Boresse may be Qu\u00e1ch Th\u1ecb Trang roundabout today.<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit: <\/span><\/i>manhhai<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Today, there is nothing left from the <\/span>Marais Boresse<\/b>. However, the transformation from this large swamp into a symbolic market gives us an impression of how the city has developed over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n

For nearly a century after the French had occupied Gia \u0110\u1ecbnh, now known as Saigon, in 1859, the area that would be H\u1ed3 Ch\u00ed Minh City was scattered with ponds and swamps. These swamps were so large that they separated Saigon and Cholon into two separate metropolises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Marais Boresse, or ao B\u1ed3-r\u1ec7t in Vietnamese, was a giant swamp in the middle of Saigon at the time. This was actually a slum with poor living conditions. While in the daylight, it seemed like an abandoned land, it became a lively area at night with gobs of street food stalls.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"B\u1ebfn
\nB\u1ebfn Th\u00e0nh Market nowadays<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>VnExpress<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the 1890s, the colonial government decided to redevelop Marais Boresse. However, this project was delayed for years due to a funding shortage. The swamps were filled gradually in the 1900s to build new streets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From 1911 to 1914, a new market was built in the middle of the filled Marais Boresse area to replace the old market on Boulevard Charner (Nguy\u1ec5n Hu\u1ec7 Street today). The new market was called <\/span>Ch\u1ee3 M\u1edbi<\/span><\/i> (literally New Market) or <\/span>B\u1ebfn Th\u00e0nh<\/span><\/i>. Indeed, it was French urban planning that turned the flophouses around the former swampland into a significant landmark.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

3. \u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng Club – now a modern skyscraper<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Hotel
\nHotel Catinat as seen from Nguy\u1ec5n Hu\u1ec7 Street<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit: <\/span><\/i>manhhai<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Our picture of the entertainment in southern Vietnam before 1975 will not be complete if it doesn’t include musical nightclubs. Among these clubs,<\/span> \u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng<\/b>, Vietnamese for The Pink Night, stood out as the most significant one.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Geneva Accord divided Vietnam into two parts in 1954, many artists, particularly singers, musicians, and music composers moved southwards. In their new land, they started to form dancing clubs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, due to then-South Vietnam\u2019s President Ng\u00f4 \u0110\u00ecnh Di\u1ec7m\u2019s ban on public dancing activities in the 1960s, these clubs turned into singing venues. The Saigonese at that time gradually formed a habit of going to nightclubs to listen to their favourite singers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Thang
\nTh\u0103ng Long Band was one of the main attractions at \u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng Nighclub.
\n<\/span>– Standing: Ph\u1ea1m Duy, Ho\u00e0i B\u1eafc (Ph\u1ea1m \u0110\u00ecnh Ch\u01b0\u01a1ng), Ho\u00e0i Trung. <\/span>
\n<\/span>– Seated : Th\u00e1i H\u1eb1ng, Kh\u00e1nh Ng\u1ecdc, and Th\u00e1i Thanh.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Being part of this trend, <\/span>\u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng <\/span>club welcomed big audiences every night. Established in 1967 by Hanoian musician Ph\u1ea1m \u0110\u00ecnh Ch\u01b0\u01a1ng, <\/span>\u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng <\/span>was named after one of his songs. The club was located inside the Catinat Hotel with two facades at 36 Nguy\u1ec5n Hu\u1ec7 Street and 69 T\u1ef1 Do Street (renamed as \u0110\u1ed3ng Kh\u1edfi Street after 1975).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the club, people could enjoy many genres of music from traditional Vietnamese music, rumba (now commonly referred to as <\/span>bolero<\/span>), and even the sensational rock music of that time. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/em>
\nPh\u01b0\u1ee3ng Ho\u00e0ng (Phoenix), the first Vietnamese rock band, was dubbed as Saigon\u2019s Beatles by their fans.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng<\/span> also introduced many legendary singers and bands such as Th\u00e1i Thanh, Ho\u00e0i B\u1eafc, Ho\u00e0i Trung (Ph\u1ea1m \u0110\u00ecnh Ch\u01b0\u01a1ng himself), Th\u00e1i H\u1eb1ng, Ph\u1ea1m Duy, and so on. <\/span>\u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng<\/span> also gave Vietnam its first ever rock band named <\/span>Ph\u01b0\u1ee3ng Ho\u00e0ng<\/span> (Phoenix) in 1971.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some members of this band, such as L\u00ea H\u1ef1u H\u00e0, Nguy\u1ec5n Trung Cang, and Elvis Ph\u01b0\u01a1ng, have since become household names.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Bitexco,
\nThe Catinat Hotel was replaced by Saigon Times Square Building (centre).<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit: <\/span><\/i>VnExpress<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, all nightclubs in Saigon came to a halt. <\/span>\u0110\u00eam M\u00e0u H\u1ed3ng <\/span><\/i>was not an exception. Catinat Hotel, where it was located, was demolished in 2008 to make place for the new Saigon Times Square.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/lite-youtube>\n\t\t\t
\nY\u00caU NG\u01af\u1edcI Y\u00caU \u0110\u1edcI (GUITAR) L\u00ca H\u1ef0U H\u00c0 x ELVIS PH\u01af\u01a0NG – YouTube<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

“Y\u00eau \u0111\u1eddi y\u00eau ng\u01b0\u1eddi” performed by Elvis Ph\u01b0\u01a1ng and L\u00ea H\u1ef1u H\u00e0, two former members of the Phoenix band.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Video credit: <\/span>H\u1ea3i Tr\u1ecbnh<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

4. The City Hall of Cholon – now a top-notch medical university<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Cholon
\nThe City Hall of Cholon around 1900<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

You may be wondering why the former name of H\u1ed3 Ch\u00ed Minh City Hall had the same name, X\u00e3 T\u00e2y (meaning the area of the French), as a market in Cholon, which is 6 kilometres in between. That was because<\/span> Cholon <\/b>used to have<\/span> its own city hall<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As mentioned above, in the 19th century, Saigon and Cholon were two separate metropolises. The City Hall of Cholon was built in 1889, and together with adjacent buildings such as the Inspection Bureau, The Drouet, Maternity and Municipal Hospitals, it was part of the French Quarter in Cholon. Today, the three hospitals are still standing and known as Ph\u1ea1m Ng\u1ecdc Th\u1ea1ch, H\u00f9ng V\u01b0\u01a1ng, and Ch\u1ee3 R\u1eaby Hospitals respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"University
\nThe campus of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at H\u1ed3 Ch\u00ed Minh City<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Anh Tu\u1ea5n H\u1ed3<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 1925, when the City Hall was destroyed, The back part of the area was used as a marketplace. The market still opens today by the name of X\u00e3 T\u00e2y Market though the City Hall, or Dinh X\u00e3 T\u00e2y as the locals called it, is no more.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the area on the front, a medical training centre was built during the Vietnam War. Now, that medical training centre is the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and its affiliated hospital.<\/p>\n

\n

5. The original Cholon marketplace – now a post office<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Old
\nThe original market before being burned down in a fire.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Cholon<\/b>, literally meaning The Large Market, is now well known as the Chinatown of Saigon.<\/span> In fact, the name derived from the market established by the Chinese Vietnamese when they first settled here.<\/span> However, this market has long been replaced by a post office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many people assume this name is derived from the present-day B\u00ecnh T\u00e2y Market, the biggest market in town. However, B\u00ecnh T\u00e2y Market was is not on the original site of the original Cholon market.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Binh
\nB\u00ecnh T\u00e2y Market today is the symbol of Cholon.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Ph\u00e1p Lu\u1eadt<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the 17th century, there were already some small communities of Chinese settled in the area of Cholon after fleeing from China to protest the new Qing Dynasty. They named their new land \u5824\u5cb8 (\u0110\u00ea Ng\u1ea1n).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The population of Cholon rose rapidly after heaps of people had moved from Ph\u1ed1 Island in Bi\u00ean H\u00f2a, \u0110\u1ed3ng Nai to \u0110\u00ea Ng\u1ea1n due to the conflict between the T\u00e2y S\u01a1n army and Nguy\u1ec5n \u00c1nh\u2019s forces.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Saigon
\nA 1900 map showing Saigon and Cholon as two separate metropolises<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

People started to form a marketplace to meet the local demand for goods. Compared to Qu\u00e1n Market (also known as T\u00e2n Ki\u1ec3ng Market) of the Vietnamese, this market was bigger, so it was called Ch\u1ee3 L\u1edbn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The name Cholon was adapted by the Vietnamese to refer to the Chinatown area, while the locals still used the name \u5824\u5cb8 or Th\u1ea7y Ng\u00f2n. According to scholar An Chi, \u5824\u5cb8 or Th\u1ea7y Ng\u00f2n was actually an alternative Chinese rendition of the name Saigon besides \u897f\u8ca2 (T\u00e2y C\u1ed1ng \/ X\u1ea5y Cung).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"District
\nDistrict 5 Post Office was built on the site of the old market.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Thu\u1eadn H\u00f2a Nguy\u1ec5n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 1928, a Chinese Vietnamese merchant named Qu\u00e1ch \u0110\u00e0m (<\/span>\u90ed\u7430) used his own money to build a new market after the old one was razed to the ground in a fire. In 1930, the new market opened and became today\u2019s B\u00ecnh T\u00e2y Market. On the site of the old market, people built a new building which is now the District 5 Post Office.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

6. The Turtle Citadel<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Map
\nThe 1790 map of Saigon with a clear aerial view of the Turtle Citadel. You can also spot the Chinese community (which would be Cholon later) to the top left of the map, credited as <\/span>Bazar Chinois<\/span> (French for Chinese Market).<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

One of the biggest structures that was destroyed in Saigon was the Turtle Citadel<\/strong>. This was an important citadel that helped the Nguy\u1ec5n emperors defend the city for quite a long time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1790, at the site of T\u00e2n Khai Village, which may covers Districts 1 and 3 today, Lord Nguy\u1ec5n \u00c1nh had Olivier de Puymanel, Th\u00e9odore Lebrun, and Pigneau de B\u00e9haine design a citadel to fit the urban plan done by general Tr\u1ea7n V\u0103n H\u1ecdc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because all these designers were Westerners, their design imitated the <\/span>European Vauban design<\/span> with star-shaped walls and fortifications at each point. As the citadel had 8 sides, the locals named it Th\u00e0nh B\u00e1t qu\u00e1i (the Baigua Citadel) or Th\u00e0nh Quy (the Turtle Citadel) after the animals considered sacred in local culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Turtle
\nRelics of the Turtle Citadel found at the La Grandi\u00e8re – Catinat corner (L\u00fd T\u1ef1 Tr\u1ecdng – \u0110\u1ed3ng Kh\u1edfi corner today) in January 1926.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Everything changed in 1833 when general L\u00ea V\u0103n Kh\u00f4i and his troops rebelled against the government of Emperor Minh M\u1ea1ng, who was Nguy\u1ec5n \u00c1nh\u2019s son. At the peak of this uprising, L\u00ea V\u0103n Kh\u00f4i occupied the Turtle Citadel. After two years of fighting, multiple generals of the Nguy\u1ec5n Dynasty defeated L\u00ea V\u0103n Kh\u00f4i\u2019s force with their large well-trained troops and clever tactics. <\/span>In 1836, Minh M\u1ea1ng decided to destroy the whole citadel.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the citadel remained, its side walls would have bordered \u0110inh Ti\u00ean Ho\u00e0ng Street to the east, Nam K\u1ef3 Kh\u1edfi Ngh\u0129a Street to the west, L\u00ea Th\u00e1nh T\u00f4n Street to the south, and Nguy\u1ec5n \u0110\u00ecnh Chi\u1ec3u Street to the north. The present-day <\/span>Notre Dame Cathedral<\/span><\/a> area would be the centre of this citadel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

7. The Phoenix Citadel<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Turtle
\nThe position of the Phoenix (smaller, right) and Turtle (left) Citadels.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Tu\u1ed5i Tr\u1ebb<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

After having the Turtle Citadel destroyed, Emperor Minh M\u1ea1ng approved the construction of a new citadel near the old one. This new construction was named <\/span>Th\u00e0nh Ph\u1ee5ng, or The Phoenix Citadel<\/b>, occupying only a quarter of the Turtle Citadel\u2019s total area.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"French
\nThe French siege of Saigon in 1859. This gate of the Phoenix Citadel would have been on L\u00ea Du\u1ea9n Street today if it had not been destroyed.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Unlike the Turtle Citadel, the Phoenix Citadel only had four sidewalls and four fortifications. On 17th February 1959, French and Spanish joined forces to attack the city and promptly occupied the Phoenix Citadel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Realising the strategic location of this citadel, not long after, they demolished it to make room for colonial buildings such as the Infantry Barrack (now the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of Pharmacy).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Phoenix
\nThe Phoenix Citadel (right) as drawn in a city plan in 1881. You can also spot the Norodom Palace (later Independence Palace<\/a>), Notre Dame Cathedral<\/a> in this plan.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image adapted from <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

If the citadel had not been annihilated, the Phoenix Citadel would have bordered Nguy\u1ec5n Du, M\u1ea1c \u0110\u0129nh Chi, Nguy\u1ec5n \u0110\u00ecnh Chi\u1ec3u, and Nguy\u1ec5n B\u1ec9nh Khi\u00eam Streets today. The building of H\u1ed3 Ch\u00ed Minh City Television would have been surrounded by four citadel walls.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Saigon’s lost landmarks<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Saigon
\nThe master plan of Saigon in 1890. This plan is displayed at H\u1ed3 Ch\u00ed Minh City Hall.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>manhhai<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

We introduce these lost landmarks to offer you can have a clearer understanding of how the city has changed over its short history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thinking about how the city may have looked very different from what it is now had history taken a different turn may make your trip around the city more interesting and insightful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also check out:<\/span><\/p>\n