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Vietnam - Saigon - 8/07
| Saigon | Nha Trang | White Sand Doc Let | Da Lat | Vung Tau | Back to Saigon |
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Saigon- Discovering the city!
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883 by the French with the stones shipped from France. The cathedral has a neo-Romanesque facade with twin towers. The Cathedral is one of the tallest building in the city and the oldest Catholic churches in Vietnam. This is one of the landmarks among the impressive avenues and open spaces north of Dong Khoi. The huge red-brick edifice with twin spires is placed between two streams of traffic and is a clear reminder that the French once ruled this city.
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The stained glass windows were lost during World War Two and have never been replaced. |
A statue of the Virgin is located in the center of a small square in front of Notre Dame |
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The first time I saw the Cathedral was in 1973 and I remembered how grandiose and beautiful this place was. 34 years later, I am standing at the same place again, but this time the place does not feel as grandiose nor impressive as I remembered it. However, the side walk and the streets around this area are super clean. They have the tourists' police patrolling the area 24/7 so it is very safe.
Side view of the Cathedral.
on the other side of the Cathedral is:
The Main post office - Buu Dien
The post office was built by the French in 1886. It is a beautiful building, it is grand with three stories in a old colonial style. The Post Office recalls European railway stations, particularly in the vaulted and glazed interior. Its "modern" skylight also recalls European buildings of the later nineteenth century (like Paris' Les Halles or Milan's Galleria).
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The three-story building has a central pavilion with flanking symmetrical extensions. Like European buildings influenced by Renaissance architecture, it has clearly defined bays and logical fenestration. Note the Green shutters, they are common in French colonial architecture |
Arched windows (with decorative capstones) are framed by engaged piers capped by imaginative human-headed. |
Vaulted Ceiling, a reminder of European buildings in the nineteenth century.
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The post office used to be the place where locals and the outside world connect, mostly via telephone in the old days before the birth of the internet. |
Big map of Saigon on display in the main hall. |
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The ceiling of the post office reminded me of the shopping mall in Milan (click on the word Milan and scroll down the page to see the picture- you will see the resemblance).
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Closer look at the ceiling. |
Next... The reunification palace
