{"id":11605,"date":"2022-06-09T13:47:27","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T05:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=11605"},"modified":"2022-06-09T13:57:28","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T05:57:28","slug":"bach-dinh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/bach-dinh\/","title":{"rendered":"B\u1ea1ch Dinh: V\u0169ng T\u00e0u Ancient French Resort Villa Where A Nguy\u1ec5n Emperor Was Imprisoned"},"content":{"rendered":"

B\u1ea1ch Dinh: V\u0169ng T\u00e0u historical French villa<\/h2>\n
\n

At V\u0169ng T\u00e0u<\/a>, a coastal city to the northeast of Saigon, you shouldn’t miss B\u1ea1ch Dinh<\/strong>, a significant historical building of V\u0169ng T\u00e0u City.<\/p>\n

This magnificent French Indochinese building will reveal stories about the Nguyen Dynasty royals that will shed light on the history of 20th-century Vietnam for you. Beyond that, you’ll learn stories about Nguy\u1ec5n Dynasty royalty who used to be here.<\/p>\n

\n

It was built as a resort palace<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Bach
\nThe aerial view of B\u1ea1ch Dinh.<\/em>
\nImage credit: Th\u00e0nh Hu\u1ef3nh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

If you are a fan of French architecture or a history buff, check out B\u1ea1ch Dinh, or Villa Blanche in French as it has witnessed many ups and downs in Vietnam’s history.<\/p>\n

B\u1ea1ch Dinh was built from 1898 to 1902 as requested by Paul Doumer, the Governor-General of Indochina at the time. He himself named it after his daughter. As it was painted white and the name Blanche, meaning white, people keep calling it B\u1ea1ch Dinh, or the White Palace, until now.<\/p>\n

\"Bach
\nB\u1ea1ch Dinh used to be the resort villa for the French colonials, Nguy\u1ec5n emperor B\u1ea3o \u0110\u1ea1i, and former South Vietnamese leaders.<\/em>
\nImage credit: Bobae<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This place served as the resort of the French colonial government leaders, and later South Vietnamese ones, thanks to its ideal location by the sea and not far from Saigon. Though originally built as a resort, it became the guardhouse where Th\u00e0nh Th\u00e1i, a Nguy\u1ec5n emperor rebelling against the colonial government, was imprisoned from 1907 to 1916.<\/p>\n

\"Bach
\nYou can enjoy the sea view from these corridor windows.<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/em>Thi\u1ec7p V\u0169<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

At this villa, you can see the original architecture of this building, an epitome of French Indochinese style with sunflower and plant details, statues of Western deities, and colorful mosaics.<\/p>\n

\n

It is an antique museum today<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Bach
\nThe interior of B\u1ea1ch Dinh. The portrait on the wall is emperor Th\u00e0nh Th\u00e1i’s.<\/em>
\nImage credit: L\u00e2m Hu\u1ef3nh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Apart from the architectural and historical value of the building itself, B\u1ea1ch Dinh is also a museum where you can find many antiques and relics collected from the shipwrecks around V\u0169ng T\u00e0u through the centuries, for instance, a collection of ceramic tableware from the reign of the 17th-century Chinese Emperor Kangxi.<\/p>\n

\"Bach
\nThe antiques exhibited in this villa.<\/em>
\nImage credit: Bobae<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Additionally, B\u1ea1ch Dinh also houses many Nguy\u1ec5n Dynasty antiques, such as a pair of ceramic pots depicting hundreds of birds escorting the phoenix, a royal sofa set from the reign of emperor Kh\u1ea3i \u0110\u1ecbnh, or the early 20th century, and a pair of ivory elephant tusks, each of which is about 1.58 metres long.<\/p>\n

\n

It was originally a fortress<\/h3>\n
\n

\"Bach
\nYou can find the Nguy\u1ec5n Dynasty cannons in the yard of this building.<\/em>
\nImage credit: Tr\u1ea7n \u0110\u1ee9c Duy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Before B\u1ea1ch Dinh was built, this site had been the location of Ph\u01b0\u1edbc Th\u1eafng Fortress, an important military building in southern Vietnam at that time. In about 1839, emperor Minh M\u1ea1ng ordered his inferiors to construct the fortress to survey C\u1ea7n Gi\u1edd sea to the east of Gia \u0110\u1ecbnh, H\u1ed3 Ch\u00ed Minh City today.<\/p>\n

\"Bach
\n\u0110\u00e0i v\u1ecdng c\u1ea3nh gives you a broad view to the sea of V\u0169ng T\u00e0u.<\/em>
\nImage credit: Th\u00e0nh Hu\u1ef3nh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Though the fortress is no longer, you can still find the Nguy\u1ec5n Dynasty cannons in the yard of B\u1ea1ch Dinh. Moreover, the villa has a \u0110\u00e0i v\u1ecdng c\u1ea3nh<\/em>, or observatory parlour, giving you a wide view\u00a0 of the sea, just as what soldiers in the fortress used to see.<\/p>\n

\n

B\u1ea1ch Dinh<\/h3>\n
\n

B\u1ea1ch Dinh is a famous historical attraction in V\u0169ng T\u00e0u. Here, you can see a beautiful building with typical French Indochinese architecture with lots of antiques inside. This villa also gives you a convenient vantage point to see the whole sea of V\u0169ng T\u00e0u.<\/p>\n

B\u1ea1ch Dinh \/ Villa Blanche
\n<\/strong>Address: <\/span><\/strong>No. 10 Tr\u1ea7n Ph\u00fa Street, Ward 1, V\u0169ng T\u00e0u City
\nOpening hours: <\/span><\/strong>7am-6pm, Daily
\nTicket price: <\/span><\/strong>VND15,000 (~USD0.65) | VND150,000 to VND300,000 (~USD6.47 to USD12.94) for guided tours
\nTelephone number: <\/span><\/strong>0254 3852 421 (V\u0169ng T\u00e0u Museum, which manages B\u1ea1ch Dinh)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Also check out:<\/p>\n