Saigon Central Post Office
By Vo Dang Minh | May 30, 2022
If you want to send a letter to another country, you need to go to the post office. That’s obvious! But if you were living in Vietnam in the 20th century, there was a place called “nha day thep” (telegraph wired department) instead of “buu dien” (post office). As a Vietnamese, I was surprised about this term instead of the well-known term “Buu Dien Thanh Pho”, which I used to hear from others.
I have this question in mind when we talk about the names of Saigon Central Post Office. What is the difference between Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon? We use different names to call a city, and we also use different names for a building, which interestingly can help us unpack the historical development and identity of the building.
This page aims to analyze and re-discover the Saigon Central Post Office, telegraph wired department, and Ho Chi Minh City Post Office in its historical and contemporary context. I wish to have you as a companion in this journey!
From Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City
Doctor Tran Huu Nghiep who was one of the first Vietnamese to receive a doctoral degree in French came up with the idea of changing the name of Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City in 1946. The name of Ho Chi Minh (or President Ho Chi Minh) came up in the meeting between the Southern people of Vietnam in which Nghiep reminded of the condition of the South, and also of the victory of the soldiers and of the merit of President Ho Chi Minh. Eventually, there was a signed form from 57 people who joined the meeting. (Long 2021)
On July 2, 1976, nearly 30 years later in the Post Unification Period, the 6th National Assembly and the Second Unified National Assembly made an official decision to name the city of Saigon named after Ho Chi Minh, (Long 2021) which changed the name of the Post Office respectively.
Saigon Central Post Office, now called Ho Chi Minh City Post Office (Bưu điện Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) is located in 02 Paris Commune, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, opposite several historical buildings including Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, and near the Independence Palace. It is located between Rue De Hong Kong and Rue Thabert (fig. 1&2), alongside with other important buildings such as the Place de la Cathedral (Saigon Notre Dame; see Inanimate Statues in Saigon?).
Nowadays, the location also reflects the development of the meanwhile outdated technique of the telegraph: the building is surrounded by Ho Chi Minh Posts and Telecommunications, the Post office of Newspaper Distribution, and the Mobifone store on Nguyen Du Street.
Fig. 1: Saigon City Map during the French colonial period
Fig. 2: Saigon Central Post Office (Telegraph Et Postes) in Plan de la ville de Saigon 1896
Short chronological overview
From 1859 to 1862: French colonial period started, the first telegraph rail in the South of Vietnam was established; the telegraph communication in Vietnam started and was used mainly for millitary purposes
From 1862 to 1872: the French governor in Vietnam expanded and completed the system of telegraph communication
In 1882: “Telegraphe et Poste” or “Telegraph Wired Department” was established
The building was first opened in January 13, 1863, but later, the building was rebuilt by the French architects A. Villedieu and A. Foulhox from 1886 to 1891 (Corfield 2013, 248-50).
The Architecture of Saigon Central Post Office
Exterior Design
From its exterior design in the 19th century (see timetable above), the building sends messages of exclusive service and essential invention of exchanging information through the telegraph, as well as the colonial expansion mirrored in French Indochina stamps. At the same time, it manifests the existence of the French imperial power in Saigon.
Fig. 3: Telegraph Wired House in 1895
Fig. 4: Telegraph Wired House
There are two vertical levels, and three horizontal parts. The building shows a symmetrical design with a strong focus on the central building (fig. 5). As you walk closely toward the entrance, you can see that there was only one door to enter, imitating a huge arch, similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. In the very center of the arch, there is the likeness of a youthful figure with long hair wearing a cap with the French Rooster - probably Marianne. Below her, we see the symbol for fertility, the Cornucopiae, and branches of laurel and oak tree, a symbolism taken from ancient Western art, very similar to the City Hall. However, to the left and right of the arch, the letters "P" (poste) and "T" ("telegraphe") are ambedded in a seemingly oriental ornament, thus mixing Western and Far Eastern patterns and creating an eclectic architectural style.
Fig. 5: Central arch
On the first vertical level, there are names of scientists and inventors alongside, giving the building a character which celebrates the function of the Post Office, i.e. the availability of current techniques of communication. The persons named here are well-known researchers from Europe, especially from France, who had made important inventions in scientific fields, mostly regarding electricity and communication, among them e.g. Chappe, one of the most important inventors of the optical telegraph (fig. 6).
Fig. 6: Representation of Claude Chappe
Fig. 7: Representation of Scientists
Interior Design:
When you step inside the Post Office, you can also see two significant maps. One is "Saigon et ses environs 1892" (or Belt Canal) and one is “Lignes télegraphiques du Sud Vietnam et du Cambodge 1936” (fig. 8). Although the interior design shows a similar pattern to the exterior design regarding the idea of implicating French colonialism towards Vietnam, it is also significant to see the shift in the frame between the two different periods. Nowadays, Saigon Central Post Office has removed some of the significant details of the original and a portrait of Ho Chi Minh was added on the wall the visitors are facing when they enter the building. In addition, the Post Office does not only serve for postal matters, but contains also tourist shops.
Fig. 8: Inside Telegraph Wire Department in the first of 20th century
Fig. 9: Inside the Telegraph Wire Department around 1920 to 1929
Fig. 10: The interior design of Ho Chi Minh Post Office
Conclusion
The historical names of the building from the French colonial title “Telegraph Wired Department” to Ho Chi Minh City Post office mark a shift between the historical period and the contemporary. “Telegraph Wired Department” can be viewed as a result of assimilation policy: When it was first established, Saigon Central Post Office gave the impression of an important invention by implicating significant European styles in the architectural design, as well as highlighting the idea of the telegraph communication, a new scientific invention by the French. With the location in the center of Saigon in colonial times, the building was one of the buildings that fostered the French policy of assimilation.
After Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, two statue groups were installed in front of the Post Office. This re-framed the building. Buu Dien Thanh Pho is thus another product of framing the building withinin Socialist ideas that are most obvious in the style of Socialist Realism, highlighting the new period and new ideology of Ho Chi Minh City itself. Nowadays, Saigon Central Post Office is not only a place to send out letters or packages, but also a spot that serves other purposes. It has now become a tourist attraction, where you can come and take a picture or buy some souvenirs. This shift re-frames the building: the colonial building is now changed into a tourist attraction, a historical remark that opens for everyone.
References
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