The HCMC Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of HCMC are among the buildings with typical French architecture in Saigon.
The façade of HCMC Museum of Fine Arts
The HCMC Museum of Fine Arts was built by Hui Bon Hoa (1845-1901), one of the richest Chinese tycoons in Saigon during his time.
The building, which was designed by a French architect, is a combination of Asian and Western architectural styles. It was turned into a museum in 1987.
Big arched windows facilitate the inflows of natural light into the museum
Part of the museum’s ceilings in a circular shape
A complex design of the ceiling
The museum’s spiral staircase looks like the famous Bramante-Vantican staircase in Italy
Arched windows are a highlight of the French-style structure
A long corridor inside the museum
A closer look of some patterns on the museum’s walls
These balconies are decorated with sophisticated patterns
Meanwhile, the Museum of HCMC was designed and built by the French authorities in Saigon in 1885. Before functioning as a museum in 1978, the complex was the residence of the governor-general of French Indochina and the governor of Cochinchina during the French-domination period (1858-1945).
The façade of the Museum of HCMC
The impressive design of wooden staircases inside the museum
The museum is decorated with patterns depicting Greek mythology
A wooden arched door with sophisticated patterns
By Duong Kiet
